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Scripture  Texts 


WITH 

EXPOSITIONS  AND  SENTENCE-PRAYERS 

FROM 

CALVIN'S    COMMENTARIES 

OK   THE 

MINOR   PROPHETS 


COMPILED  BY  THB 

Rev.  Charles  E.  Edwards 


,^  OF  pmcsr 

;*     JUL  20  1909      *, 


Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication  and 
Sabbath-school  Work,  Philadblphia,  1897 


Copyright,  1897,  by 
THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD 
OF  PUBLICATION  AND  SABBATH- 
SCHOOL   WORK. 


Introduction. 

John  CALVIN  was  a  man  of  God.  He  has 
been  justly  admired  as  the  theologian  of  the 
Reformation ;  as  the  prince  of  commentators 
upon  Holy  Scripture,  and  the  father  of  its  scien- 
tific exegesis,  and  as  the  virtual  founder  of 
American  common  schools.  He  was  also  great 
in  prayer.  The  system  of  Christian  doctrine 
which  bears  his  name  has  ever  been  the  mother 
of  devotion.  It  may  be  known  by  its  fruits  ;  for 
it  has  trained  a  noble  army  of  martyrs,  reform- 
ers, missionaries,  and  evangelists.  It  has  in- 
spired countless  revivals  of  religion.  It  lives  in 
all  the  popular  hymnals  of  Christendom.  Prayer 
is  the  "vital  breath,"  the  "native  air"  of  Cal- 
vinism. The  prayers  of  John  Calvin,  however, 
have  received  little  attention,  as  compared  with 
the  fame  which  crowns  his  theological  writings. 
His  commentaries  upon  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel, 
Daniel,  and  the  minor  prophets  were  originally 
delivered  in  the  form  of  lectures,  each  followed 
by  appropriate  petitions.  Both  lectures  and 
prayers  were  extemporaneous.  In  his  epistle 
dedicatory,  prefaced  to  the  commentary  upon 
the  minor  prophets,  and  addressed  to  the  King 
of  Sweden,  Calvin  says  :     "  Had  it  been  in  my 


Introduction. 

power  I  would  rather  have  tried  to  prevent  the 
wider  circulation  of  that  extemporaneous  kind 
of  teaching,  intended  for  the  particular  benefit 
of  my  auditory,  and  with  which  benefit  I  was 
abundantly  satisfied."  John  Budaeus,  in  an- 
other preface,  piously  exhorts  that  we  pray  for 
the  Spirit  of  God,  that  we  may  come  to  the 
reading  of  Scripture  instructed  by  him.  "And 
for  this  end,"  he  says,  "much  help  may  be 
given  us  by  the  short  prayers  which  we  have 
taken  care  to  add  at  the  close  of  every  lecture  as 
gathered  by  us  with  the  same  care  and  fidelity 
as  the  lectures  were  ;  and  the  ignorant  may  also 
have  in  these  a  pattern,  as  it  were,  painted  be- 
fore them,  by  which  they  may  form  their  prayers 
from  the  words  of  Scripture.  For  as  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  lectures  he  ever  used  the  same 
form  of  prayer,  so  he  was  wont  ever  to  finish 
every  lecture  by  a  new  prayer  formed  at  the 
time,  as  given  him  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  ac- 
commodated to  the  subject  of  the  lecture." 

The  following  passage  from  Calvin's  commen- 
tary on  Genesis  shows  how  his  oratory  rises 
sometimes  to  the  sublime  : 

"It  is  vain  for  any  to  reason  as  philosophers 
on  the  workmanship  of  the  world,  except  those 
who  having  been  first  humbled  by  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel  have  learned  to  submit  the  whole 
of  their  intellectual  wisdom  (as  Paul  expresses 
it)  to  the  foolishness  of  the  cross.  Nothing 
shall  we  find,  I  say,  above  or  below,  which  can 

4 


Introduction. 

raise  us  up  to  God,  until  Christ  shall  have  in- 
structed us  in  his  own  school.  Yet  this  cannot 
be  done  unless  we,  having  emerged  out  of  the 
lowest  depths,  are  borne  up  above  all  heavens 
in  the  chariot  of  his  cross,  that  there  by  faith  we 
may  apprehend  those  things  v.'hich  the  eye  has 
never  seen,  the  ear  never  heard,  and  which  far 
surpass  our  hearts  and  minds.  There  the  invis- 
ible kingdom  of  Christ  fills  all  things,  and  his 
spiritual  grace  is  diffused  through  all.  Yet  this 
does  not  prevent  us  from  applying  our  senses  to 
the  consideration  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  we 
may  thence  seek  confirmation  in  the  true  knowl- 
edge of  God,  For  Christ  is  that  image  in  which 
God  presents  to  our  view  not  only  his  heart, 
but  also  his  hands  and  his  feet.  I  give  the  name 
of  his  heart  to  that  secret  love  with  which  he 
embraces  us  in  Christ,  by  his  hajids  and  feet 
I  understand  those  works  of  his  which  are  dis- 
played before  our  eyes."  His  translator  notes 
here  that  Calvin  shows  an  intimate  experimental 
acquaintance  with  the  declaration  of  the  apostle, 
"And  made  us  sit  together  in  heavenly  places 
in  Christ  Jesus."     Eph.  ii.  6. 

Calvin's  correspondence  indicates  how  ear- 
nestly he  watched  and  prayed  for  the  salvation 
of  our  English  and  Scottish  forefathers. 
To  his  ardent  disciple  John  Knox  he  writes  : 
"  It  was  a  source  of  pleasure,  not  to  me  only, 
but  to  all  the  pious  persons  to  whom  I  commu- 
nicated the  agreeable  tidings,  to  hear  of  the  very 


Introduction. 

£!:reat  success  which  has  crowned  your  labors. 
But  as  we  are  astonished  at  such  incredible 
progress  in  so  brief  a  space  of  time,  so  we  like- 
wise give  thanks  to  God  whose  extraordinary 
blessing  is  signally  displayed  herein." 

In  his  suggestions  to  the  Protector  Somerset, 
he  remarks  : 

"  Monseigneur,  it  appears  to  me  that  there  is 
very  little  preaching  of  a  lively  kind  in  the  king- 
dom, but  that  the  greater  part  deliver  it  by  way 
of  reading  from  a  written  discourse.  Now  this 
preaching  ought  not  to  be  lifeless,  but  lively,  to 
teach,  to  exhort,  to  reprove,  as  St.  Paul  says  in 
speaking  to  Timothy  (II  Tim.  iv.  2).  So  indeed, 
that  if  an  unbeliever  enter,  he  may  be  so  effect- 
ually arrested  and  convinced  as  to  give  glory  to 
God,  as  Paul  says  in  another  passage  (I  Cor. 
xiv).  You  are  also  aware,  Monseigneur,  how 
he  speaks  of  the  lively  power  and  energy  with 
which  they  ought  to  speak,  who  would  approve 
themselves  as  good  and  faithful  ministers  of 
God,  who  must  not  make  a  parade  of  rhetoric, 
only  to  gain  esteem  for  themselves,  but  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  ought  to  sound  forth  by  their 
voice,  so  as  to  work  with  mighty  energy." 

His  letter  to  the  boy-king,  Edward  the  Sixth, 
deserves  undying  remembrance : 

"It  is  indeed  a  great  thing  to  be  a  king,  and 
yet  more  over  such  a  country,  nevertheless,  I 
have  no  doubt  that  3'ou  reckon  it  beyond  com- 
parison better  to  be  a  Christian.     It  is  therefore 

6 


Introduction. 

an  invaluable  privilege  that  God  has  vouchsafed 
you,  sire,  to  be  a  Christian  king,  to  serve  as  his 
lieutenant  in  ordering  and  maintaining  the  king- 
dom of  Jesus  Christ  in  England." 

Lady  Anne  Seymour,  daughter  of  the  Protector 
Somerset,  receives  this  message  from  him  : 

"  Certainly  among  so  many  gifts  with  which 
God  has  endowed  and  adorned  you,  this  stands 
unquestionably  first — that  he  stretched  out  his 
hand  to  you  in  tender  childhood  to  lead  you  to 
his  own  Son,  who  is  the  author  of  eternal  salva- 
tion, and  the  fountain  of  all  good." 

Cranmer  was  one  of  his  correspondents  and 
co-laborers.  He  submitted  to  Calvin  a  pro- 
posal for  a  General  Synod  for  the  more  close 
union  of  the  Reformed  churches.  Calvin  thus 
communicates  his  approval:  "So  much  does 
this  concern  me  that  could  I  be  of  any  service  I 
would  not  grudge  to  cross  even  ten  seas  if  need 
were  on  account  of  it,"  In  another  letter  he 
says  :  "I  highly  commend  the  plan  which  your 
reverend  sir,  have  adopted  to  make  the  English 
frame  for  themselves,  without  delay,  a  religious 
constitution,  lest  by  matters  remaining  longer  in 
an  unsettled  state,  or  not  being  sufficiently  di- 
gested, the  minds  of  the  common  people  should 
be  confirmed  in  suspense." 

He  wrote  to  Farel :  *'  The  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  informed  me  that  I  could  do  nothing 
more  useful  than  to  write  to  the  King  more  fre- 
quently.   This  gave  me  more  pleasure  than  if  I 

7 


Introduction. 

had  come  to  the  possession  of  a  great  sum  of 
money." 

When  English  exiles  were  scattered  over  the 
continent  by  Queen  Mary's  persecution  Calvin's 
pen  was  exercised  in  their  behalf.  He  wel- 
comed them  to  the  hospitality  of  Geneva,  and 
thus  revealed  his  sympathy  :  "We  have  good 
reason  to  feel  anxiety — yea  even  torment— re- 
garding that  nation  [England].  Scarcely  has 
any  other  thing  so  distressed  me  as  this  English 
affair." 

Upon  the  accession  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  Cal- 
vin dedicated  to  her  a  new  edition  of  his  com- 
mentary on  Isaiah,  in  which  he  grandly  pleads 
for  the  gospel  : 

"It  is  not  so  much  my  object  to  be  favored 
with  your  countenance  in  my  personal  labors  as 
humbly  to  entreat,  and  by  the  sacred  name  of 
Christ  to  implore,  not  only  that  through  your 
kindness  all  orthodox  books  may  again  be 
welcomed  and  freely  circulated  in  England,  but 
that  your  chief  care  may  be  directed  to  promote 
religion,  which  has  fallen  into  shameful  neglect. 
And  if  this  is  justly  demanded  from  all  kings  of 
the  earth  by  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  by 
a  still  more  sacred  tie  does  he  hold  you  bound, 
most  noble  Queen,  to  perform  this  duty,  for 
when  even  you,  though  a  King's  daughter,  were 
not  exempted  from  that  dreadful  storm  which 
fell  with  severity  on  the  heads  of  all  the  godly, 
by  the  wonderful  manner  in  which  he  brought 
you  out  safe,  though  not  unmoved  by  the  fear 

6 


Introduction. 

of  danger,  he  has  laid  you  under  obligation  to 
devote  yourself  and  all  your  exertions  to  his 
service.  So  far  are  you  from  having  any  reason 
to  be  ashamed  of  this  deliverance  that  God  has 
given  you  large  and  abundant  grounds  of  boast- 
ing by  conforming  you  to  the  image  of  his  Son, 
on  whom  the  prophet  Isaiah  bestows  this 
among  other  commendations,  that  from  prison 
and  from  j  udgment  he  was  raised  to  the  loftiest 
height  of  heavenly  dominion." 

The  desire  of  this  great  reformer  is  thus  ex- 
pressed to  Bucer :  "I  pray  that  the  English 
may  make  a  stand  for  the  genuine  purity  of 
Christianity,  until  everything  in  that  country  is 
seen  to  be  regulated  according  to  the  rule  which 
Christ  himself  has  laid  down." 

The  prayer  of  Calvin  has  been  wonderfully 
answered.  England  was  the  bulwark  of  the 
Reformation.  By  the  defeat  of  the  Spanish 
Armada  she  became  mistress  of  the  seas.  The 
sea  power  of  the  world  then  passed  from  Catho- 
lic to  Protestant  hands,  which  have  firmly  held 
it  ever  since.  The  English  Puritan  movement 
was  Calvinistic  to  the  core.  As  a  result,  the 
Westminster  standards,  the  most  complete  of 
Calvinistic  creeds,  were  formulated  by  the* 
**  first  among  Protestant  councils,"  and  adopted 
by  the  British  Parliament.  Green  says :  f 
"The  whole  history  of  English  progress  since 

*  Schaff,  Creeds  of  Christendom.    Vol.  I,  p.  72S. 
fSliort  History  of  the  English  People.     Vol.  Ill,  chap. 
VIII  ad  fin. 

9 


Introduction. 

the  Restoration,  on  its  moral  and  spiritual  sides, 
has  been  the  history  of  Puritanism."  The  ma- 
jority of  Calvinists  now  speak  the  English 
language.  Dr.  Schaff  says  :  "*  "His  religious 
influence  upon  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  in  both 
continents  is  greater  than  that  of  any  native 
Englishman,  and  continues  to  this  day."  He 
quotes  Baroness  Bunsen's  eulogy  :  "The  merit 
of  Calvin  is  his  own,  and  he  has  been  the  crea- 
tive instrument  of  the  strength  of  England,  of 
Scotland,  of  the  United  States  of  America." 

The  Calvin  Translation  Society  has  enriched 
English  literature  by  the  publication  of  a  large 
part  of  his  works  in  fifty-two  noble  volumes. 
Their  translation  has  been  revised  for  this  brief 
compilation,  which  has  been  drawn  entirely 
from  the  commentaries  on  the  minor  prophets. 
The  hundreds  of  lectures  and  prayers  found  in 
his  other  writings  are  equally  edifying,  and  de- 
serve a  world-wide  circulation. 

In  conclusion,  an  exhortation  taken  from  a 
quaint  English  translation  of  Calvin's  homihes 
on  Deuteronomy,  and  similar  to  many  others 
which  occur  at  the  end  of  his  sermons,  is  appro- 
priate for  the  devout  reader  of  the  sentence 
prayers  which  follow : 

"  Now  let  us  kneel  down  in  the  presence  of 
our  good  God,  with  acknowledgment  of  our 
faults,  praying  him  to  make  us  feel  them  more 

*  History  Christian  Church.    Vol.  VII,  pp.  806-7. 
10 


Introduction. 

and  more,  that  we  may  run  wholly  unto  him, 
and  that  forasmuch  as  we  have  not  now  a  Moses 
to  lead  us  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  but  Jesus 
Christ,  which  is  come  down  unto  us  to  draw  us 
up  into  heaven  after  him,  we  may  follow  such  a 
guide,  yielding  ourselves  wholly  unto  him,  and 
in  no  wise  dragging  back  from  him,  that  it  may 
please  him  to  grant  this  grace,  not  only  to  us, 
but  also  to  all  people  and  nations  of  the  earth." 


ti 


The  prayer  which  Calvin  was  wont  to 
use  at  the  beginning  of  his  lectures  : 

"May  the  Lord  grant  that  we  may  engage  in 
contemplating  the  mysteries  of  his  heavenly 
wisdom  with  really  increasing  devotion,  to  his 
glory  and  to  our  edification.    Amen." 


13 


The  Solitary  Lamb. 

For  Israel  slideth  back  as  a  backslid- 
_  ingheifer:  now  the  Lord  will  feed  them 

I  as    a    Iamb    in  a  large   place. — Hosea 

iv.  i6. 

It  is  what  is  peculiar  to  sheep,  we  know,  that 
they  continue  under  the  shepherd's  care  :  and  a 
sheep,  when  driven  into  solitude,  shows  itself 
by  its  bleating  to  be  timid,  and  to  be  as  it  were 
seeking  its  shepherd  and  its  flock.  In  short,  a 
sheep  is  not  a  solitary  animal  ;  and  it  is  to  sheep 
and  lambs  almost  a  part  of  their  food  to  feed  to- 
gether, and  also  under  the  eye  of  him  under 
whose  care  they  are.  Now  there  seems  to  be 
here  a  most  striking  change  of  figure  :  They 
are,  says  the  prophet,  like  untamable  heifers,  for 
they  are  so  wanton  that  no  field  can  satisfy  their 
wantonness,  as  when  a  heifer  would  occupy  the 
whole  land.  "Such  then,"  he  says,  "and  so 
outrageous  is  the  disobedience  of  this  people 
that  they  can  no  longer  endure,  except  a  spa- 
cious place  be  given  to  each  of  them.  I  will 
therefore  give  them  a  spacious  place  :  but  for 
this  end,  that  each  of  them  may  be  like  a  lamb, 
who  looks  around  and  sees  no  flock  to  which  it 
may  join  itself." 


14 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  hast 
deigned  in  thy  mercy  to  gather  us  to  thy  Church, 
and  to  enclose  us  within  the  boundaries  of  thy 
word,  by  which  thou  preserveth  us  in  the  true 
and  right  worship  of  thy  majesty,  O  grant  that 
we  may  continue  contented  in  this  obedience  to 
thee  ;  and  though  Satan  may,  in  many  ways,  at- 
tempt to  draw  us  here  and  there,  and  we  be  also 
ourselves  by  nature  inclined  to  evil,  O  grant, 
that  being  confirmed  in  faith  and  united  to  thee 
by  that  sacred  bond,  we  may  yet  constantly 
abide  under  the  restraint  of  thy  word,  and  thus 
cleave  to  Christ  thine  only  begotten  Son  who 
has  joined  us  forever  to  himself,  and  that  we  may 
never  by  any  means  turn  aside  from  thee,  but 
be,  on  the  contrary,  confirmed  in  the  faith  of  his 
gospel,  until  at  length  he  will  receive  us  all  into 
his  kingdom.    Amen, 


15 


A  Sovereign  Word. 


T 


Hear  ye  this,  O  priests ;  and  hearken, 
ye  house  of  Israel ;  and  s;ive  ye  ear,  O 
house  of  the  king  ;  for  judgment  is  to- 
ward you,  because  ye  have  been  a 
snare  on  Mizpah,  and  a  net  spread  upon 
Tabor. — Hosea  v.  i. 


HE  prophet  here  preaches  against  the  whole 
people  ;  but  he  mainly  directs  his  discourse 
to  the  priests  and  the  rulers ;  for  they  were  the 
source  of  the  prevailing  evils  :  the  priests,  in- 
tent on  gain,  neglected  the  worship  of  God  ; 
and  the  chief  men  were  become  in  every  way 
corrupt.  .  .  .  Even  kings  are  not  exempted 
from  the  duty  of  learning  what  is  commonly 
taught,  if  they  wish  to  be  counted  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  ;  for  the  Lord  would  have 
all,  without  exception,  to  be  ruled  by  his  word  ; 
and  he  takes  this  as  a  proof  of  men's  obedience, 
their  submission  to  his  word.  And  as  kings 
think  themselves  separated  from  the  general 
class  ot  men,  the  prophet  here  shows  that  he 
was  sent  to  the  king  and  his  counselors.  The 
same  reason  holds  good  as  to  priests,  for  as 
the  dignity  of  their  order  is  the  highest,  so  this 
impiety  has  prevailed  in  all  ages,  that  the  priests 
think  themselves  at  liberty  to  do  what  they 
please.  Let  us  know  that  in  the  Church  the 
word  of  God  so  possesses  the  highest  rank, 
that  neither  priests,  nor  kings,  nor  their  coun- 
selors can  claim  a  privilege  to  themselves,  as 
though  their  conduct  was  not  to  be  subject  to 
God's  word. 


X6 


Prayer. 


Gi 


:RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  con- 
tinuest  daily  to  exhort  us,  and  though  thou  seest 
us  often  turning  aside  from  the  right  course, 
thou  yet  ceasest  not  to  stretch  forth  thy  hand  to 
us,  and  also  to  rouse  us  by  reproofs  that  we 
may  repent, — O  grant  that  we  may  not  be  per- 
mitted to  reject  thy  word  with  such  perverse- 
ness  as  thou  condemnest  here  in  thine  ancient 
people  by  the  mouth  of  thy  prophet ;  but  rule 
us  by  thy  Spirit,  that  we  may  meekly  and 
obediently  submit  to  thee,  and  with  such  teach- 
ableness, that  if  we  have  not  hitherto  been  will- 
ing to  become  wise,  we  may  not  at  least  be 
incurable,  but  suffer  thee  to  heal  our  diseases, 
so  that  we  may  truly  repent,  and  be  so  wholly 
given  to  obey  thee,  as  never  to  attempt  anything 
beyond  the  rule  of  thy  word,  and  without  that 
wisdom  which  thou  hast  revealed  to  us,  not  only 
by  Moses  and  thy  prophets,  but  also  by  thine 
only  begotten  Son  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 


I? 


Ti 


Kindness  and  Faith. 


For  I  desired  mercy,  and  not  sacrifice ; 
and  the  knowledge  of  God  more  than 
burnt  offerings. — Hosea  vi.6. 


HIS  is  a  remarkable  passage  ;  the  Son  of  God 
has  twice  quoted  it.  The  Pharisees  reproached 
him  for  his  intercourse  with  men  of  bad  and 
abandoned  life,  and  he  said  to  them  in  the  ninth 
chapter  of  Matthew,  * '  Mercy  I  desire  apd  not 
sacrifice."  He  shows  by  this  defence,  that  God 
is  not  worshiped  by  external  ceremonies,  but 
when  men  forgive  and  bear  with  one  another 
and  are  not  above  measure  rigid.  Again,  when 
the  Pharisees  blamed  the  disciples  for  gathering 
ears  of  corn,  Christ  shows  that  those  who  make 
holiness  to  consist  in  ceremonies  are  foolish 
worshipers  of  God  ;  and  that  they  also  blamed 
their  brethren  without  a  cause,  and  made  a 
crime  of  what  was  not  in  itself  sinful,  and  what 
could  be  easily  defended  by  any  wise  and  calm 
expounder.  These  two  clauses  ought  to  be  read 
conjointly— that  kindness  pleases  God — and 
that  faith  pleases  God.  Faith  by  itself  cannot 
please  God,  since  it  cannot  even  exist  without 
love  to  our  neighbor  ;  and  then,  human  kindness 
is  not  sufficient ;  for  were  any  one  to  abstain 
from  doing  any  injury,  and  from  hurting  his 
brethren  in  any  thing,  he  might  still  be  a  profane 
man,  and  a  despiser  of  God  ;  and  certainly  his 
kindness  would  be  then  of  no  avail  to  him.  It 
is  also  worthy  of  being  observed,  that  he  calls 
faith  the  knowledge  of  God. 

i8 


Prayer. 

VJRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  prone 
to  every  kind  of  wickedness  and  are  easily  led 
away  to  imitate  it,  when  there  is  any  excuse  for 
going  astray  and  any  opportunity  is  offered, — O 
grant,  that  being  strengthened  by  the  help  of 
thy  Spirit,  we  may  continue  in  purity  of  faith, 
and  that  what  we  have  learnt  concerning  thee, 
that  thou  art  a  Spirit,  may  so  profit  us,  that  we  may 
worship  thee  in  spirit,  and  with  a  sincere  heart, 
and  never  turn  aside  after  the  corruptions  of  the 
world,  nor  think  we  can  deceive  thee  ;  but  may 
we  so  devote  our  souls  and  our  bodies  to  thee, 
that  our  life  may  in  every  part  of  it  testify,  that 
we  are  a  pure  and  holy  sacrifice  to  thee  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.    Amen. 


19 


n 


Sin  and  Punishment. 


They  have  deeply  corrupted  them- 
selves, as  in  the  days  of  Gibeah  :  there- 
fore  he  will  remember  their  iniquity,  he 
will  visit  their  sins. — Hosea  ix.  9. 


lOSEA  declares  here,  that  the  people  were 
so  sunk  in  their  vices  that  they  could  not  be 
drawn  out  of  them.  He  who  has  fallen  can 
raise  himself  up  when  one  extends  a  hand  to 
him ;  and  he  who  strives  to  emerge  from  the 
mire,  finding  a  helper  to  assist  him,  can  plant 
his  foot  again  on  solid  ground  ;  but  when  he  is 
cast  into  a  gulf  he  has  no  hope  of  a  recovery. 
I  extend  my  hand  in  vain  when  one  sinks  in  a 
shipwreck  and  is  fallen  into  a  vast  whirlpool. 
Let  us  hence  also  learn  to  rouse  ourselves  ;  and 
let  us,  in  the  first  place,  notice  what  the  prophet 
says  of  the  Israelites,  that  they  were  deeply 
engulfed  ;  for  men  must  be  filled  with  contempt 
to  God  when  they  thus  descend  into  the  deep. 
Let,  then,  each  of  us  stir  up  himself  daily  to 
repentance,  and  carefully  beware  lest  he  should 
descend  into  this  vast  whirlpool.  Let  us  know 
that  they  are  greatly  deceived  who  indulge 
themselves  as  long  as  the  Lord  mercifully  bears 
with  their  sins ;  for  though  he  may  for  a  time 
conceal  his  displeasure,  at  a  time  he  will  remem- 
ber, and  prove  that  he  does  so  by  executing  a 
just  punishment. 


20 


Prayer. 

LjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  shinest 
on  us  by  thy  word,  we  may  not  be  bHnd  at  mid- 
day, nor  wilfully  seek  darkness,  and  thus  lull 
our  minds  asleep  :  but  may  we  be  roused  daily 
by  thy  words,  and  may  we  stir  up  ourselves 
more  and  more  to  fear  thy  name  and  thus  pre- 
sent ourselves  and  all  our  pursuits,  as  a  sacri- 
fice to  thee,  that  thou  mayest  peaceably  rule, 
and  perpetually  dwell  in  us,  until  thou  gatherest 
us  to  thy  celestial  habitation,  where  there  is  re- 
served for  us  eternal  rest  and  glory  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.    Amen. 


31 


The  Divinity  of  Christ. 

Yea,  he  had  power  over  the  angel, 
and  prevailed  :  he  wept,  and  made  sup- 
_»  pUcation  unto  him:    he  found   him  in 

5  Bethel,  and  there  he  spake  with  us  ; 

Even  the  Lord  God  of  hosts ;   the 
Lord  is  his  memorial. — Hosea  xii.  4,  5. 

It  must  be  noticed  that  the  prophet  here  testi- 
fies that  he  was  the  eternal  and  the  only  true 
God,  who  yet  was  at  the  same  time  an  angel. 
But  it  may  be  asked,  How  was  he  the  eternal  God 
and  at  the  same  time  an  angel  ?  When  the  Lord 
appeared  by  his  angels,  the  name  of  Jehovah 
was  given  to  them  ;  not,  indeed,  to  all  the  angels 
indiscriminately,  but  to  the  chief  angel,  by 
whom  God  manifested  himself.  It  then  follows 
that  this  angel  was  truly  and  essentially  God. 
But  this  would  not  strictly  apply  to  God,  except 
there  be  some  distinction  of  persons.  There 
must  then  be  some  person  in  the  Deity  to 
whom  this  name  and  title  of  an  angel  can  apply  ; 
for  if  we  take  the  name,  God,  without  differ- 
ence or  distinction,  and  regard  it  as  denoting 
his  essence,  it  would  certainly  be  inconsistent 
to  say  that  he  is  God  and  an  angel  too  ;  but 
when  we  distinguish  persons  in  the  Deity,  there 
is  no  inconsistency.  How  so  ?  Because  Christ, 
the  eternal  Wisdom  of  God,  did  put  on  the 
character  of  a  Mediator  before  he  put  on  our 
flesh.  He  was  therefore,  then,  a  Mediator,  and 
in  that  capacity  he  was  also  an  angel.  He  was 
at  the  same  time  Jehovah,  who  is  now  God 
manifested  in  the  flesh. 


22 


Prayer. 

V-XRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  inasmuch  as 
thou  showest  thyself  to  us  at  this  day  so  kindly 
as  a  Father,  having  presented  to  us  a  singular 
and  an  invaluable  pledge  of  thy  favor  in  thine 
only  begotten  Son, — O  grant  that  we  may  en- 
tirely devote  ourselves  to  thee,  and  truly  render 
thee  that  free  service  and  obedience  which  is 
due  to  a  Father,  so  that  we  may  have  no  other 
object  throughout  life  but  to  confirm  that  adop- 
tion with  which  thou  hast  favored  us  once  for 
all,  until  at  length  we  shall  partake  of  its  fruit 
when  thou  dost  gather  us  into  thine  eternal 
kingdom,  together  with  Jesus  Christ  thine  only 
Son.    Amen. 


23 


A  Gracious  Reminder. 

6  1  did  not  know  thee  in  the  wilder- 

ness, in  the  land  of  great  drought. — 
Hosea  xiii.  5. 

liE  says,  "I  have  manifested  myself  to  thee 
from  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  thy  very  nativity. 
Thou  didst  then  begin  to  live,  and  to  be  some 
sort  of  people,  when  I  stretched  forth  my  hand 
to  thee."  The  people  were  redeemed  on  this 
condition  that  they  should  devote  themselves 
wholly  to  God.  As  we  are  at  this  day  Christ's, 
and  no  one  of  us  ought  to  live  according  to  his 
own  will,  for  Christ  died  and  rose  again  for  this 
end,  that  he  might  be  the  Lord  of  the  living  and 
of  the  dead  :  so  also  then,  the  Israelites  had 
been  redeemed  by  God,  that  they  might  offer 
themselves  wholly  to  him.  If  this  one  God  was 
sufficient  for  redeeming  his  people,  what  do  the 
people  now  mean,  when  they  wander  and  seek 
aid  here  and  there  ?  for  they  ought  to  render  to 
God  the  life  received  from  him,  which  they  now 
enjoy,  and  ought  to  acknowledge  it  to  be  suffi- 
ciently safe  under  his  sole  protection.  We  learn 
that  the  worship  of  God  does  not  consist  in 
words,  but  in  faith  and  hope  and  prayer. 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  dost  so 
kindly  urge  us  daily  by  thy  voice,  meekly  and 
calmly  to  offer  ourselves  to  be  ruled  by  thee, 
and  since  thou  hast  exalted  us  to  the  highest 
degree  of  honor  by  freeing  us  from  the  dread 
of  the  devil,  and  from  that  tyranny  which  kept 
us  in  miserable  fear,  and  hast  also  favored  us 
with  the  spirit  of  adoption  and  of  assurance, — O 
grant  that  we,  being  mindful  of  these  benefits, 
may  ever  submit  ourselves  to  thee,  and  desire 
only  to  raise  our  voice  for  this  end,  that  the 
whole  world  may  submit  itself  to  thee,  and  that 
those  who  seem  now  to  rage  against  thee  may 
at  length  be  brought,  as  well  as  we,  to  render 
thee  obedience  so  that  thy  Son  Christ  may  be 
the  Lord  of  all  to  the  end  that  thou  alone 
mayest  be  exalted,  and  that  we  may  be  made 
subject  to  thee  and  be  at  length  raised  up  above 
and  become  partakers  of  that  glory  which  has 
been  obtained  for  us  by  Christ  alone,  our  Lord. 
Amen. 


25 


The  True  King. 

I  will  be  thy  king :    where  is   any 
other  that   may  save  thee    in   all  thy 

7  cities?   and  thy  judges  of  whom  thou 

saidst,  Give  me  a  king  and  princes? — 
Hosea  xiii.  lo. 

v_JOD  repeats  what  he  had  before  declared, 
that  he  would  always  be  the  same  :  "Though 
the  Israelites  rail  against  me,  that  I  do  not  pur- 
sue my  usual  course  of  kindness,  it  is  yet  most 
false ;  for  I  remain  ever  the  same,  and  am 
always  ready  to  show  kindness  to  men  ;  for  I 
do  not,  as  I  have  elsewhere  declared,  forsake 
the  work  of  my  hands  (Ps.  cxxxviii,  8),  See- 
ing then  that  I  thus  continue  my  favor  toward 
men,  it  must  be  that  the  way  to  my  favor  is 
closed  up  by  their  wickedness.  Let  them 
therefore  examine  themselves,  when  they  cry 
and  I  answer  not.  When  in  their  evils  they  in 
a  manner  pine  away,  and  find  no  relief,  let  them 
acknowledge  it  to  be  their  own  fault ;  for  I 
would  have  made  myself  the  same  as  ever  I 
have  been,  and  they  would  have  found  me  a  de- 
liverer, had  not  a  change  taken  place  in  them." 


26 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
given  us  once  for  all  thine  only  begotten  Son  to 
rule  us,  and  hast  by  thy  good  pleasure  conse- 
crated him  a  King  over  us,  that  we  may  be  per- 
petually safe  and  secure  under  his  hand  against 
all  the  attempts  of  the  devil  and  of  the  whole 
world, — O  grant,  that  we  may  suffer  ourselves 
to  be  ruled  by  his  authority,  and  so  conduct 
ourselves,  that  he  himself  may  ever  continue  to 
watch  for  our  safety :  and  as  thou  hast  com- 
mitted us  to  him,  that  he  may  be  the  guardian 
of  our  salvation,  so  also  suffer  us  neither  to 
turn  aside  nor  fall,  but  preserve  us  ever  in  his 
service,  until  we  at  length  be  gathered  into  that 
blessed  and  everlasting  kingdom,  which  has 
been  procured  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thine  only 
Son.    Amen. 


A  Kind  Invitation, 

80  Israel,  return  unto  the  Lord  thy 
God  ;  for  thou  hast  fallen  by  thine  in- 
iquity.— Hosea  xiv.  i. 


H 


.ERE  the  prophet  exhorts  the  Israelites  to 
repentance,  and  still  propounds  some  hope  of 
mercy.  But  this  may  seem  inconsistent,  as  he 
had  already  testified  that  there  would  be  no 
remedy  any  more,  because  they  had  extremely 
provoked  God.  But  the  solution  is  ready  at 
hand,  and  it  is  this  :  In  speaking  before  of  the 
final  destruction  of  the  people,  he  had  respect 
to  the  whole  body  of  the  people  ;  but  now  he 
directs  his  discourse  to  the  few  who  had  as  yet 
remained  faithful.  And  this  distinction  ought 
to  be  carefully  noticed,  otherwise  we  shall  find 
ourselves  perplexed  in  many  parts  of  Scripture. 
God  had  now,  indeed,  determined  to  destroy 
them,  and  he  wished  this  to  be  made  known  to 
them  by  the  preaching  of  Hosea.  But  yet  God 
had  ever  some  seed  remaining  among  his 
chosen  people  ;  some  sound  members  remained, 
as  in  a  large  heap  of  chaff  some  grains  may  be 
found  concealed.  His  discourse  here  ought  to 
be  especially  applied  to  the  elect  of  God,  who, 
although  they  had  fallen  away  for  a  time,  and 
had  become  entangled  in  the  common  vices  of 
the  age,  were  yet  not  altogether  incurable.  The 
prophet  now  kindly  invites  them,  for  he  could 
not  succeed  by  severe  words  without  mingling 
a  hope  of  favor,  as  we  know  that  there  can  be 
no  hope  of  repentance  without  faith. 

28 


Prayer. 

V-JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  now 
carry  about  us  this  mortal  body,  yea,  and 
nourish  through  sin  a  thousand  deaths  within 
us, — O  grant  that  we  may  ever  by  faith  direct 
our  eyes  toward  heaven,  and  to  that  incompre- 
hensible power,  which  is  to  be  manifested  at 
the  last  day  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  so  that 
in  the  midst  of  death  we  may  hope  that  thou 
wilt  be  our  Redeemer,  and  enjoy  that  redemp- 
tion which  he  completed  when  he  rose  from 
the  dead,  and  not  doubt  that  the  fruit  which  he 
then  brought  forth  by  his  Spirit  will  come  also 
to  us  when  Christ  himself  shall  come  to  judge 
the  world  ;  and  may  we  thus  walk  in  the  fear 
of  thy  name,  that  we  may  be  really  gathered 
among  his  members,  to  be  made  partakers  of 
that  glory  which  by  his  death  he  has  procured 
for  us.    Amen. 


29 


Worship  and  Joy. 

Is  not  the  meat  cut  off  before  our 
Q  eyes,  yea,  joy  and  gladness  from  the 

■^  house  of  our  God  ? — Joel  i.  i6. 

1  HE  prophet  here  chides  the  madness  of  the 
Jews,  that  they  perceived  not  things  set  before 
their  eyes.  He  therefore  says  that  they  were 
bhnd  in  the  midst  of  Hght,  and  that  their  sight 
was  such  that  seeing  they  saw  nothing ;  they 
surely  ought  to  have  felt  distressed,  when  want 
reached  even  to  the  temple.  For  since  God 
had  commanded  the  firstfruits  to  be  offered  to 
him,  certainly  the  temple  ought  to  have  been 
honored  with  its  sacrifices  ;  and  though  mortals 
perish  a  hundred  times  through  famine  and 
want,  yet  God  ought  not  to  be  defrauded  of  his 
right.  He  afterwards  adds  that  joy  and  glad- 
ness were  taken  away  ;  for  God  commanded 
the  Jews  to  come  to  the  temple  to  give  thanks 
and  to  acknowledge  themselves  blessed,  because 
he  had  chosen  his  habitation  among  them. 
Hence  this  expression  is  so  often  repeated  by 
Moses,  "Thoushalt  rejoice  before  thy  God  ;" 
for  by  saying  this  God  intended  to  encourage 
the  people  the  more  to  come  cheerfully  to  the 
temple;  as  though  he  said,  "I  certainly  need 
not  your  presence,  but  I  wish  by  my  presence 
to  make  you  glad."  But  now  when  the  worship 
of  God  ceased,  the  prophet  says  that  joy  had 
also  been  abolished  ;  for  the  Jews  could  not 
cheerfully  give  thanks  to  God  when  his  curse 
was  before  their  eyes. 

30 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  tha  as  thou  seest 
us  to  be  surrounded  with  the  infirmity  of  our 
flesh,  and  so  held  by,  and  as  it  were,  over- 
whelmed with  earthly  cares,  that  we  can  hardly 
raise  up  our  hearts  and  minds  to  thee, — O  grant 
that  being  awaked  by  thy  word  and  daily  warn- 
ings we  may  at  length  feel  our  evils,  and  that 
we  may  not  only  learn  by  the  stripes  thou 
inflictest  on  us,  but  also  of  our  own  accord, 
summon  ourselves  to  judgment,  and  examine 
our  hearts  and  thus  come  to  thy  presence,  being 
our  own  judges  ;  so  that  we  may  anticipate  thy 
displeasure  and  thus  obtain  that  mercy  which 
thou  hast  promised  to  all  who,  turning  only  to 
thee,  deprecate  thy  wrath  and  also  hope  for 
thy  favor  through  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.    Amen. 


3« 


Sounding  the  Alarm. 

Blow  ye  the  trumpet   in  Zioti,  and 
sound  an  alarm  in  my  holy  mountain  : 
IQ  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  trem- 

ble :  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh, 
for  it  is  nigh  at  hand. — ^Joel  ii.  i. 

1  HIS  chapter  contains  serious  exhortations, 
mixed  with  threatenings,  but  the  prophet 
threatens  for  the  purpose  of  correcting  the  in- 
difference of  the  people,  who  were  very  slow  to 
consider  God's  judgments.  The  object  of  the 
narrative,  then,  is  to  make  the  people  sensible 
that  it  was  now  no  time  for  taking  rest. 

The  prophet  begins  with  an  exhortation.  We 
know,  indeed,  that  he  alludes  to  the  usual  cus- 
toms sanctioned  by  the  law,  for,  as  on  festivals 
trumpets  were  sounded  to  call  the  people,  so 
also  it  was  done  when  anything  extraordinary 
happened.  Hence,  the  prophet  addresses  not 
each  individually,  but,  as  all  had  done  wick- 
edly, from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  he  bids  the 
whole  assembly  to  be  called,  that  they  may  in 
common  own  themselves  to  be  guilty  before 
God,  and  deprecate  his  vengeance.  This  pas- 
sage shows  that  when  any  judgment  of  God 
is  impending,  and  tokens  of  it  appear,  this 
remedy  ought  to  be  used,  namely,  that  all  must 
publicly  assemble  and  confess  themselves 
worthy  of  punishment,  and  at  the  same  time 
flee  to  the  mercy  of  God„  This,  we  know,  was 
formerly  enjoined  upon  the  people,  and  this 
practice  has  not  been  abolished  by  the  gospel. 


32 


Prayer. 

CjcRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  m- 
vitest  us  daily  with  so  much  kindness  and  love, 
and  makest  known  to  us  thy  paternal  good-will 
which  thou  didst  once  for  all  show  to  us  in 
Christ  thy  Son, — O  grant  that,  being  allured  by 
thy  goodness,  we  may  surrender  ourselves  to 
thee  and  become  so  teachable  and  submissive 
that  wherever  thou  guidest  us  by  thy  Spirit 
thou  mayest  follow  us  with  every  blessing.  Let 
us  not,  in  the  meantime,  be  deaf  to  thy  warn- 
ings ;  and  whenever  we  deviate  from  the  right 
way,  grant  that  we  may  immediately  awake 
when  thou  warnest  us,  and  return  to  the  right 
path,  and  deign  thou  also  to  embrace  us  and 
reconcile  us  to  thyself  through  Christ  our  only 
Lord.    Amen. 


33 


The  Outpouring  of  the  Spirit. 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward, 

that  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  ail 

_  _  flesh;  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters 

I  I  shall  prophesy,  your  old  men  shall  dream 

dreams,    your    young    men    shall    see 

visions. — ^Joel  ii.  28. 

1  HE  prophet  after  having  set  before  them  the 
rudiments  as  though  they  were  children,  now 
brings  before  them  a  more  complete  doctrine 
(for  thus  they  were  to  be  led)  and  affords  them 
a  taste  of  the  favor  of  God  in  its  external  signs. 
"Ascend,  then,  now,"  he  says,  "to  spiritual 
life,  for  the  fountain  is  one  and  the  same,  though 
when  earthly  benefits  occupy  and  engross  your 
attention  ye  no  doubt  pollute  them.  But  God 
feeds  you,  not  to  fill  and  pamper  you,  for  he 
would  not  have  you  to  be  like  brute  animals. 
Then  know  that  your  bodies  are  fed,  and  that 
God  gives  support  to  you,  that  ye  may  aspire 
after  spiritual  life,  for  he  leads  you  to  this  as  by 
the  hand  ;  be  this,  then,  your  object."  He  be- 
gan with  temporal  benefits,  for  it  was  needful 
that  an  untutored  people  should  be  thus  led  by 
degrees,  that  on  account  of  their  infirmity,  slug- 
gishness, and  dullness,  they  might  thus  make 
better  progress  until  they  understood  that  God 
would  for  this  end  be  a  Father  to  them. 


34 


Prayer. 

VJRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  we  want 
so  many  aids  while  in  this  frail  life,  and  as  it  is 
a  shadowy  life,  we  cannot  pass  a  moment  ex- 
cept thou  dost  continually  and  at  all  times  sup- 
ply through  thy  bounty  what  is  needful, — O  grant, 
that  we  may  so  profit  by  thy  so  many  benefits, 
that  we  may  learn  to  raise  our  minds  upward 
and  ever  aspire  after  celestial  life  to  which  by 
thy  gospel  thou  invitest  us  so  kindly  and  sweetly 
every  day,  that  being  gathered  into  thy  celestial 
kingdom,  we  may  enjoy  that  perfect  felicity 
which  has  been  procured  for  us  by  the  blood  of 
thy  Son  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


35 


An  Admonition. 


And    I    will    show   wonders   in    the 
heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and 
fire,  and  pillars  of  smoke. 
J  2  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into  dark- 

ness, and  the  moon  into  blood,  before 
the  great  and  the  terrible  day  of  the 
Lord  come. — Joel  ii.  30,  31. 


T 


HE  propnet  had  hitherto  promised  that  God 
would  deal  kindly  and  bountifully  with  his  peo- 
ple ;  and  everything  he  has  said  tended  to  elevate 
the  spirits  of  the  people  and  fill  them  with  joy. 
But  now  he  seems  again  to  threaten  them  with 
God's  wrath  and  to  strike  miserable  men  with 
fear,  who  had  not  as  yet  recovered  breath  ;  for  at 
the  time  the  prophet  spoke  the  Jews,  we  know, 
were  in  the  greatest  sorrow.  But  it  is  rather 
an  admonition  than  a  threatening.  The  prophet 
warns  them  of  what  would  be  lest  the  faithful 
should  promise  themselves  an  exemption  from 
all  cares  and  troubles  :  for  we  know  how  prone 
men  are  to  self-indulgence.  Hence  the  prophet 
reminds  us  that  though  God  would  bountifully 
feed  his  Church,  and  testify  by  external  tokens 
his  paternal  love,  and  though  he  would  pour 
out  his  Spirit  (a  token  far  more  remarkable),  yet 
the  faithful  would  continue  to  be  distressed  with 
many  troubles.  For  God  designs  not  to  deal 
too  delicately  with  his  Church  on  earth  ;  but 
when  he  gives  tokens  of  his  kindness,  he  at  the 
same  time  mingles  some  exercises  for  patience, 
lest  the  faithful  should  become  self-indulgent  or 
sleep  on  earthly  blessings,  but  that  they  may 
ever  seek  higher  things. 

36 


Prayer. 

VjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  now 
surrounded  on  every  side  by  so  many  miseries, 
and  as  our  condition  is  such  that  amidst  groans 
and  continual  sorrows  our  life  could  be  hardly 
sustained  unless  thou  dost  support  us  by  spirit- 
ual grace, — O  grant,  that  we  may  learn  to  look 
upon  the  face  of  thine  Anointed  and  seek  com- 
fort from  him  in  our  misfortunes,  and  such  a 
comfort  as  may  not  engross  our  minds,  or  at 
least  retain  us  in  the  world,  but  raise  our 
thoughts  to  heaven  and  daily  seal  to  our  hearts 
the  testimony  of  our  adoption,  and  that  though 
many  evils  must  be  borne  by  us  in  this  world 
we  may  yet  continue  to  pursue  our  course  and 
to  fight  and  strive  with  invincible  perseverance, 
until  having  at  length  finished  all  our  struggles, 
we  reach  that  blessed  rest  which  has  been 
obtained  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thine  only- 
begotten  Son  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


37 


Calling  on  the  Lord. 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  who- 
soever shall  call  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  delivered :  for  in  mount 
I  2  Zion  and  in  Jerusalem  shall  be  deliver- 

^  ance,  as  the  Lord  hath  said,  and  in  the 

remnant  whom  the  Lord  shall  call. — 
Joel  ii.  32. 


G, 


cOD  declares  that  the  invocation  of  his  name 
in  a  despairing  condition  is  a  sure  port  of  safety. 
What  the  prophet  had  said  was  certainly  dread- 
ful,— that  the  whole  order  of  nature  would  be 
so  changed  that  no  spark  of  life  would  appear, 
and  that  all  places  would  be  filled  with  dark- 
ness. Wiiat,  therefore,  he  says  now  is  the  same 
as  though  he  declared,  that  if  men  called  on  the 
name  of  God  life  would  be  found  in  the  grave. 
Since  then  God  invites  here  the  lost  and 
the  dead,  there  is  no  reason  why  even  the 
heaviest  distresses  should  preclude  an  access 
for  us  or  for  our  prayers.  If  there  is  promised 
salvation  and  deliverance  to  all  who  shall  call 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  it  follows,  as  Paul 
reasons,  that  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  belongs 
to  the  gentiles  also.  It  would  have  been  a 
great  presumption  in  us  to  present  ourselves 
before  God,  except  he  had  given  us  confidence 
and  promised  to  hear  us.  We  learn  from  this 
place  that  however  much  God  may  afflict  his 
Church,  it  will  yet  be  perpetuated  in  the  world  ; 
for  it  can  no  more  be  destroyed  than  the  very 
truth  of  God,  which  is  eternal  and  immutable. 


38 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  not 
only  invitest  us  continually  by  the  voice  of  thy 
gospel  to  seek  thee,  but  also  offerest  to  us  thy 
Son  as  our  Mediator,  through  whom  an  access 
to  thee  is  open,  that  we  may  find  thee  a  pro- 
pitious Father, — O  grant,  that  relying  on  thy 
kind  invitation,  we  may  through  life  exercise 
ourselves  in  prayer,  and  as  so  many  evils  disturb 
us  on  all  sides  and  so  many  wants  distress  and 
oppress  us,  may  we  be  led  more  earnestly  to 
call  on  thee,  and  in  the  meanwhile  be  never 
wearied  in  this  exercise  of  prayer  ;  until  having 
been  heard  by  thee  throughout  life,  we  may  at 
length  be  gathered  to  thine  eternal  kingdom 
where  we  shall  enjoy  that  salvation  which  thou 
hast  promised  to  us,  and  of  which  also  thou 
daily  testifiest  to  us  by  thy  gospel,  and  be  for- 
ever united  to  thine  only-begotten  Son  of  whom 
we  are  now  members  ;  that  we  may  be  par- 
takers of  all  the  blessings  which  he  has  obtained 
for  us  by  his  death.    Amen. 


39 


A  Blessed  Experience. 

So  shall  ye  know  that  I  am  the  Lord 

your  God  dwelling  in  Zion,  my  holy 

\A  mountain:    then    shall    Jerusalem    be 

•  holy,  and  there  shall  no  strangers  pass 

through  her  any  more.— Joel  iii.  17. 

1  HE  prophet  intimates  that  the  favor  of  God 
had  been  so  hidden  during  the  afflictions  of  the 
people  that  they  could  but  think  that  they  were 
forsaken  by  God.  His  word  ought  indeed  to 
be  sufficient  for  us  in  the  greatest  evils  ;  for 
though  God  may  cast  us  into  the  deepest  gulfs, 
yet  when  he  shines  upon  us  by  his  word  it 
ought  to  be  a  consolation  abundantly  availing 
to  sustain  our  souls. 

There  is  a  twofold  knowledge,  the  knowledge 
of  faith,  received  from  his  word,  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  experience  as  we  say,  derived  from 
actual  enjoyment.  The  faithful  ever  acknowl- 
edge that  salvation  is  laid  up  for  them  in  God  ; 
but  sometimes  they  do  not  by  actual  enjoyment 
know  God  to  be  their  Father.  The  prophet 
therefore  now  treats  of  real  knowledge  when  he 
says  that  they  shall  know  that  they  have  a  God. 
How  are  they  to  know  this?  By  experience. 
This  passage  teaches  us  that  though  God 
should  not  put  forth  his  hand  manifestly  to  help 
us,  we  ought  yet  to  entertain  good  hope  of  his 
favor ;  for  the  prophet  spoke  for  this  end,  that 
the  godly  might,  before  the  event  or  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  prophecy  should  come,  look 
to  God  and  cast  all  their  cares  on  him. 


40 


Prayer. 

VjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  have,  in 
this  world,  to  fight  continually,  not  only  with 
one  kind  of  enemies,  but  with  innumerable  ones, 
and  not  only  with  flesh  and  blood,  but  also  with 
the  devil,  the  prince  of  darkness, — O  grant  that 
being  armed  with  thy  power  we  may  steadily 
persevere  in  this  contest ;  and  when  thou 
afflictest  us  for  our  sins,  may  we  learn  to  hum- 
ble ourselves  and  so  submit  to  thy  authority 
that  we  may  hope  for  the  redemption  promised 
to  us  ;  and  though  tokens  of  thy  displeasure 
may  often  appear  to  us,  may  we  yet  ever  raise 
up  our  minds  by  hope  to  heaven  and  from 
thence  look  for  thine  only-begotten  Son,  until, 
coming  as  Judge  of  the  world,  he  assembles  us 
for  the  enjoyment  of  that  blessed  and  eternal 
life  which  he  has  obtained  for  us  by  his  own 
blood.     Amen. 


4t 


The  Law  of  Worship. 


And  offer  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving 
with  leaven,  and  proclaim  cfid  publish 


I  ^  the  free  offerings :  for  this  likeih  you 


B 


O  ye  children  of  Israel,  saith  the  Lord 
God. — Amos  iv.  5. 


I Y  saying  that  the  Israelites  loved  to  do  these 
things,  he  upbraids  their  presumption  in  devis- 
ing at  their  own  will  new  modes  of  worship,  as 
though  he  said,  "I  require  no  sacrifices  from 
you  except  those  offered  at  Jerusalem,  but  ye 
offer  them  to  me  in  a  profane  place.  There- 
fore regard  your  sacrifices  as  offered  to  your- 
selves, and  not  to  me."  We,  indeed,  know 
how  hypocrites  ever  make  God  a  debtor  to 
themselves  ;  when  they  undertake  any  labor  in 
their  frivolous  ceremonies,  they  think  that  God 
is  bound  to  them.  "Ye  ought  to  have  con- 
sulted me  and  simply  to  have  obeyed  my  word, 
to  have  regarded  what  pleased  me,  what  I  have 
commanded  ;  but  ye  have  despised  my  word, 
neglected  my  law,  and  followed  what  pleased 
yourselves  and  proceeded  from  your  own 
fancies.  Since,  then,  your  own  will  is  your  law, 
seek  a  recompense  from  yourselves,  for  I  allow 
none  of  these  things.  What  I  require  is  im- 
plicit submission,  I  look  for  nothing  else  but 
obedience  to  my  law  ;  as  ye  render  not  this  but 
according  to  your  own  will,  it  is  no  worship  of 
my  name." 


42 


_       Prayer. 

CjfRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  wouldst 
have  our  Hfe  to  be  formed  by  the  rule  of  thy 
law,  and  hast  there  revealed  to  us  what  pleaseth 
thee,  that  we  may  not  wander  in  uncertainty, 
but  render  thee  obedience, — O  grant  that  we 
may  wholly  submit  ourselves  to  thee,  and  not 
only  devote  our  whole  life  and  all  our  labors  to 
thee,  but  also  offer  to  thee  as  a  sacrifice  our 
understanding  and  whatever  prudence  and 
reason  we  possess,  so  that  by  spiritually  serv- 
ing thee  we  may  really  glorify  thy  name, 
through  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


43 


A  Solemn  Exhortation. 

i6 


Therefore  thus  will  I  do  unto  thee,  O 
Israel :  and  because  I  will  do  this  unto 
thee,  prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  Israel. 
— Amos  iv.  12. 


T 


HIS  passage  may  be  explained  in  two  ways  ; 
either  as  an  ironical  sentence,  or  as  a  simple  and 
serious  exhortation  to  repentance.  If  we  take 
it  ironically  the  sense  will  be,  "Come  now, 
meet  me  with  all  your  obstinacy,  and  with  what- 
ever may  serve  you  ;  will  you  be  able  to  escape 
my  vengeance  by  setting  up  yourselves  against 
me,  as  you  have  hitherto  done  ?' '  And  certainly 
the  prophet,  in  denouncing  final  ruin  on  the 
people,  seems  here  as  though  he  wished  design- 
edly to  touch  them  to  the  quick,  when  he  says, 
"  Meet  now  thy  God  and  prepare  thyself ;"  that 
is,  "Gather  all  thy  strength  and  thy  forces  and 
thine  auxiliaries  ;  try  what  all  this  will  avail 
thee."  But  as  in  the  next  chapter  the  prophet 
exhorts  again  the  Israelites  to  repentance,  and 
sets  before  them  the  hope  of  favor,  this  place 
may  be  taken  in  another  sense,  as  though  he 
said,  "Since  thou  seest  thyself  guilty,  and  also 
as  thou  seest  that  thou  art  seeking  subterfuges 
in  vain,  being  not  able  by  any  means  to  elude 
the  hand  of  thy  judge,  then  see  at  last  that  thou 
meet  thy  God,  that  thou  mayest  anticipate  the 
final  ruin  which  is  impending."  The  prophets, 
after  having  threatened  destruction  to  the 
chosen  people,  ever  moderate  the  asperity  of 
their  doctrine,  as  there  were  at  all  times  some 
remnant  seed,  though  hidden. 

44 


Prayer. 

C-JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  by  thy 
word  thou  kindly  invitest  us  to  thyself,  we  may 
not  turn  deaf  ears  to  thee,  but  anticipate  thy  rod 
and  scourges  ;  and  that  when,  for  the  stupidity 
and  thoughtlessness  by  which  we  have  become 
inebriated,  thou  addest  those  punishments  by 
which  thou  sharply  urgest  us  to  repent, — O  grant, 
that  we  may  not  continue  wholly  intractable, 
but  at  length  turn  our  hearts  to  thy  service  and 
submit  ourselves  to  the  yoke  of  thy  word,  and 
that  we  may  be  so  instructed  by  the  punish- 
ments which  thou  hast  inflicted  on  us  and  still 
inflictest,  that  we  may  truly  and  from  the  heart 
turn  to  thee,  and  offer  ourselves  to  thee  as  a 
sacrifice,  that  thou  mayest  govern  us  according 
to  thy  will,  and  so  rule  all  our  affections  by  thy 
Spirit,  that  we  may  through  the  whole  of  our 
life  strive  to  glorify  thy  name,  in  Christ  Jesus, 
thy  Son  our  Lord.    Amen. 


45 


Herdman  and  Prophet. 

Then  answered  Amos,  and  said  to 

Amaziah,  I  was  no  prophet,  neither  was 

I  "7  la  prophet's  son  ;  but  I  was  an  herd- 

'  man,  and  a  gatherer  of  sycamore  fruit. 

— Amos  vii.  14. 


H 


.AD  Amos  simply  denied  tliat  he  was  a 
prophet,  he  might  on  this  account  have  been 
thrust  away  from  his  office  of  teaching,  for  he 
lacked  a  call.  But  he  means  that  he  was  not  a 
prophet  who  had  been  from  his  childhood  in- 
structed in  God's  law  to  be  an  interpreter  of 
Scripture  :  and  for  the  same  reason  he  says  that 
he  was  not  the  son  of  a  prophet ;  for  there  were 
then,  we  know,  colleges  for  prophets,  instituted 
for  this  end,  that  there  might  be  always  some 
nursery  for  the  Church  of  God,  so  that  it  might 
not  be  destitute  of  good  and  faithful  teachers. 
Amos  says  that  he  was  not  of  that  class.  He 
therefore  honestly  confesses  that  he  was  an  illit- 
erate man :  but  by  this  he  gained  to  himself 
more  authority,  inasmuch  as  the  Lord  had 
seized  on  him  as  it  were  by  force,  and  set  him 
over  the  people  to  teach  them.  It  was  a  greater 
miracle  that  Christ  chose  rude  and  ignorant 
men  as  his  apostles,  than  if  he  had  at  first  chosen 
Paul  or  men  like  him,  who  were  skilled  in  the 
law.  If  Christ  had  at  the  beginning  selected 
such  disciples  their  authority  would  have  ap- 
peared less  ;  but  as  he  had  prepared  by  his 
Spirit  those  who  were  before  unlearned,  it  ap- 
peared more  evident  that  they  were  sent  from 
above. 

46 


Prayer. 

V-XRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  inasmuch  as 
thou  dost  give  such  loose  reins  to  Satan,  that 
he  attempts  in  all  manner  of  ways  to  subvert 
thy  servants, — O  grant,  that  they  who  have  been 
sent  and  moved  by  thee  and  at  the  same  time 
furnished  w4th  the  invincible  strength  of  thy 
Spirit  may  go  on  perseveringly  to  the  last  in  the 
discharge  of  their  office ;  and  whether  their 
adversaries  assail  them  by  plots  or  oppose  them 
by  open  violence,  may  they  not  desist  from 
their  course  but  devote  themselves  wholly  to, 
thee  with  prudence  as  well  as  with  courage  that 
they  may  thus  persevere  in  continual  obedience : 
and  do  thou  also  dissipate  all  the  mists  and  all 
the  wiles  which  Satan  spreads  to  deceive  the 
inexperienced,  until  the  truth  emerge,  which  is 
the  conqueror  of  the  devil  and  of  the  whole 
world,  and  until  thy  Son,  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness, appear,  that  he  may  gather  the  whole 
world  that  in  his  peaceful  kingdom  we  may 
enjoy  the  victory,  which  is  daily  to  be  obtained 
by  us  in  our  constant  struggles  with  the  enemies 
of  thine  only  Son.     Amen. 


47 


The  Power  of  God. 

It  is  he  that  buildeth  his  stories  In 

the  heaven,  and  hath  founded  his  troop 

-O  in  the  earth;    he   that   callelh   for  the 

*0  waters  of  the  sea,  and  poureth  them 

out  upon  the  face   of  the   earth :   The 

Lord  is  his  name. — Amos  ix.  6. 

1  HE  prophet  in  general  terms  describes  the 
power  of  God,  that  he  might  the  more  impress 
his  hearers,  and  that  they  might  not  heedlessly 
reject  what  he  had  previously  threatened  re- 
specting their  approaching  ruin ;  for  he  had 
said,  "  Lo,  God  will  smite  the  land  and  it  shall 
tremble."  This  was  special.  Now  as  men 
received  with  deaf  ears  those  threatenings,  the 
prophet  added,  by  way  of  confirmation,  a 
striking  description  of  the  power  of  God  ;  as 
though  he  said,  "Ye  do  hear  what  God  de- 
nounces ;  now,  as  he  has  clothed  me  with  his 
own  authority,  and  commanded  me  to  terrify 
you  by  setting  before  you  your  punishment, 
know  ye  that  ye  have  to  do  with  God  himself, 
whose  majesty  ought  to  make  you  all  and  all 
that  you  are  to  tremble.  Ye  exist  only  through 
his  power,  and  whenever  he  pleases  he  can  with- 
draw his  Spirit  and  then  this  whole  world  must 
vanish,  of  which  ye  are  but  the  smallest  parti- 
cles. Since,  then,  he  alone  is  God,  and  there 
is  in  you  but  a  momentary  strength,  and  since 
this  great  power  of  God,  the  evidences  of  which 
he  affords  you  through  the  whole  order  of  na- 
ture, is  so  conspicuous  to  you,  how  is  it  that  ye 
are  so  heedless?" 

48 


Prayer. 


Gi 


:RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
showed  to  us  by  evidence  so  remarkable  that 
all  things  are  under  thy  command,  and  that  we 
who  live  in  this  world  through  thy  favor  are  as 
nothing,  for  thou  couldst  reduce  us  to  nothing 
in  a  moment, — O  grant  that  being  conscious  of 
thy  power  we  may  reverently  fear  thy  hand,  and 
be  wholly  devoted  to  thy  glory  ;  and  as  thou 
kindly  offerest  thyself  to  us  as  a  Father,  may 
we  be  drawn  by  this  kindness  and  surrender 
ourselves  wholly  to  thee  by  a  willing  obedience, 
and  never  labor  for  anything  throughout  life  but 
to  glorify  thy  name  as  thou  hast  redeemed  us 
through  thine  only-begotten  Son,  that  so  we 
may  also  enjoy  through  him  that  eternal  inher- 
itance which  is  laid  up  for  us  in  heaven.   Amen. 


49 


Wisdom  Destroyed. 

Shall    I    not    in  that  day,  saith  the 
_  _  Lord,  even  destroy  the  wise  men  out 

19  of  Edom,  and  understanding  out  of  the 

mount  of  Esau  ? — Obadiah  8. 

1  HOUGH  men  be  in  many  respects  blind, 
whom  God  guides  not  by  his  Spirit,  and  on 
whom  he  shines  not  with  his  word,  yet  the 
worst  bUndness  is  when  men  become  inebriated 
with  the  false  conceit  of  wisdom.  God  indeed 
permits  the  ungodly  for  a  long  time  to  felicitate 
themselves  on  account  of  their  own  acumen 
and  counsels,  as  he  suffered  the  Idumeans  to  go 
on  prosperously.  But  we  are  warned  by  these 
words  that  if  we  excel  in  understanding,  we  are 
not  to  abuse  this  singular  gift  of  God,  as  we  see 
the  case  to  be  with  the  ungodly,  who  turn  to 
cunning  whatever  wisdom  the  Lord  has  be- 
stowed on  them.  There  is  hardly  one  in  a 
hundred  to  be  found  who  does  not  seek  to  be 
crafty  and  deceitful  if  he  excels  in  understand- 
ing. We  see  that  the  world  perverts  this  ex- 
cellent gift  of  God  ;  the  more  reason  there  is 
for  us  to  labor,  that  our  wisdom  should  be 
founded  in  true  simplicity.  This  is  one  thing. 
Then  we  must  also  beware  lest  we  trust  in  our 
own  understanding  and  despise  our  enemies,  and 
lest  we  think  that  we  can  ward  off  any  evil  that 
may  impend  over  us  ;  but  let  us  ever  seek  from 
the  Lord  that  he  may  vouchsafe  to  us  at  all 
times  the  Spirit  of  wisdom,  that  he  may  guide 
us  even  to  the  end  of  life. 


50 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
once  for  all  received  us  under  thy  protection, 
and  hast  promised  that  our  salvation  would  be 
so  much  under  thy  care,  that  whatever  Satan 
and  the  whole  world  may  contrive  thou  wilt  yet 
keep  us  safe  and  secure, — O  grant  that  being 
endued  with  perseverance,  we  may  remain 
within  our  borders,  and  not  be  carried  away 
here  and  there  either  by  craft  or  by  wicked 
counsels ;  but  be  thou  pleased  to  keep  us  in 
genuine  integrity  ;  that,  being  protected  by  thy 
help,  we  may,  by  experience,  find  that  true 
which  thou  declarest  in  thy  word — that  they  who 
call  on  thee  in  truth  shall  ever  know  thee  to  be 
propitious  to  them  ;  and  since  thou  hast  already 
made  open  to  us  an  access  to  thee  in  the  person 
of  thine  only-begotten  Son,  O  grant  that  we, 
the  sheep,  may  rely  on  him  as  our  Shepherd, 
and  resignedly  abide  under  his  protection  until 
at  length  we  be  removed  from  all  dangers  into 
that  eternal  rest  which  has  been  obtained  for  us 
by  the  blood  of  Christ  thine  only  Son.    Amen. 


51 


A  Fearless  Preacher. 

And  Jonah  began  to  enter  into  the 
^^  city  a  day's  journey,  and  he  cried,  and 

■^"  said,  Yet  forty  days,  and  Nineveh  shall 

be  overthrown. — ^Jonah  iii.  4. 

Jonah  here  relates  that  he  went  to  Nineveh 
according  to  the  command  of  God.  He  shows 
then  how  faithfully  he  executed  the  duty  en- 
joined on  him,  and  thus  obeyed  the  word  of 
God.  Hence  Jonah  came  and  began  to  enter 
into  the  city,  and  to  preach  on  the  first  day. 
This  promptness  proves  clearly  how  tractable 
Jonah  had  become,  and  how  much  he  endeav- 
ored to  obey  God  in  discharging  his  office. 
For  had  there  been  still  a  timidity  in  his  heart, 
he  would  have  inspected  the  city  as  careful  and 
timid  men  are  wont  to  do  who  inquire  what  is 
the  condition  of  the  place,  what  are  the  disposi- 
tions of  the  people,  and  which  is  the  easiest 
access  to  them,  and  what  is  the  best  way  and 
where  is  the  least  danger.  We  now  see  how 
prompt  he  was  in  his  obedience  who  had 
before  attempted  to  pass  over  the  sea  ;  he  now 
takes  hardly  a  moment  to  breathe,  but  he  be- 
gins at  the  very  entrance  to  testify  that  he  had 
come  in  obedience  to  God. 

He  says  that  he  cried  ;  this  freedom  shows 
that  Jonah  was  divested  of  all  fear,  and 
endued  with  such  boldness  of  spirit  that  he 
raised  himself  up  above  all  the  hindrances  of  the 
world.  No  fear  was  able  to  prevent  him  from 
doing  his  duty  as  a  faithful  servant,  for  he  had 
evidently  been  strengthened  by  the  Lord. 
52 


Prayer. 

V-JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  there  is  so 
much  timidity  in  us  that  none  of  us  is  pre- 
pared to  follow  where  thou  mayest  call  us,  we 
may  be  so  instructed  by  the  example  of  thy 
servant,  Jonah,  as  to  prepare  ourselves  for 
thorough  obedience,  and  that  though  Satan  and 
the  world  may  oppose  us  with  all  their  terrors, 
we  may  yet  be  strengthened  by  a  reliance  on 
thy  power  and  protection,  v/hicli  thou  hast 
promised  to  us,  and  may  go  on  in  the  course  of 
our  vocation,  and  never  turn  aside,  but  thus 
contend  with  all  the  hindrances  of  this  world, 
until  we  reach  that  celestial  kingdom,  where  we 
shall  enjoy  thee,  and  Christ,  thy  only-begotten 
Son,  who  is  our  strength  and  our  salvation  ; 
and  may  thy  Spirit  quicken  us  and  strengthen 
all  our  faculties,  that  we  may  obey  thee,  and 
that  at  length  thy  name  may  be  glorified  in  us, 
and  that  we  may  finally  become  partakers  of 
that  glory  to  which  thou  invitest  us  through 
Christ  our  only  Lord.     Amen. 


53 


The  Mercy  of  God. 

Then  said  the  Lord,  Thou  hast 
had  pity  on  the  gourd,  for  the  which 
thou  hast  not  labored,  neither  madestit 
grow ;  which  came  up  in  a  night,  and 

^  perished  in  a  night : 

^  1  And    should    not    I    spare  Nineveh, 

that  great  city,  wherein  are  more  than 
six-score  thousand  persons  that  cannot 
discern  between  their  right  hand  and 
their  left  hand;  and  a/^o  much  cattle? — 
Jonah  iv.  lo,  ii. 

V-JOD  shows  here  how  like  a  father  he  pro- 
vides for  mankind.  Each  one  of  us  is  cher- 
ished by  him  with  singular  care  ;  but  yet  he 
represents  here  a  large  number,  that  it  might  be 
more  manifest  that  he  has  so  great  a  concern 
for  mankind  that  he  will  not  inconsiderately 
fulminate  against  any  one  nation.  God  shows 
here  to  Jonah  that  he  has  been  carried  away  by 
his  own  merciless  zeal.  Though  his  zeal  arose 
from  a  good  principle,  yet  Jonah  was  influenced 
by  a  feeling  far  too  vehement.  This  God  proved 
by  sparing  so  many  infants  hitherto  innocent. 
And  to  infants  he  adds  the  brute  animals. 
Oxen  were  certainly  superior  to  shrubs.  If 
Jonah  justly  grieved  for  one  withered  shrub  it 
v/as  far  more  deplorable  and  cruel  for  so  many 
innocent  animals  to  perish.  We  hence  see  how 
apposite  are  all  the  parts  of  this  similitude,  to 
make  Jonah  loathe  his  folly,  and  to  be  ashamed 
of  it ;  for  he  had  attempted  to  frustrate  the  secret 
purpose  of  God,  and  in  a  manner  to  overrule  it 
by  his  own  will,  so  that  the  Ninevites  might  not 
be  spared,  although  they  labored  by  true  re- 
pentance to  anticipate  the  divine  judgment. 

54 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast,  in 
various  ways,  testified  and  daily  also  dost  prove 
how  dear  and  precious  to  thee  are  mankind,  as 
we  enjoy  daily  so  many  and  so  remarkable  proofs 
of  thy  goodness  and  favor, — O  grant  that  we 
may  learn  to  rely  wholly  on  thy  goodness,  so 
many  examples  of  which  thou  settest  before  us, 
and  which  thou  wouldst  have  us  continually  to 
experience,  that  we  may  not  only  pass  through 
our  earthly  course,  but  also  confidently  aspire 
to  the  hope  of  that  blessed  and  celestial  life 
which  is  laid  up  for  us  in  heaven,  through  Christ 
alone  our  Lord.     Amen. 


55 


A  Prophet's  Lamentation. 

For  her  wound  is  incurable;  for  il  is 
~^  come  unto  Judali ;  he  is  come  unto  the 

■^•^  gale  of  my  people,  evtn  to  Jerusalem. 

— Micah  i.   9. 

1  HE  prophet  here  assumed  the  character  of  a 
mourner  that  he  might  more  deeply  impress  the 
Israehtes  ;  for  they  were  almost  insensible  in 
their  torpidity.  It  was  therefore  necessary  that 
they  should  be  brought  to  view  the  scene  itself, 
that,  seeing  their  destruction  before  their  eyes, 
they  might  be  touched  both  with  grief  and  fear. 
Though  the  prophet  here  addresses  the  Israel- 
ites, we  ought  yet  to  apply  this  to  ourselves ; 
for  we  are  not  much  unlike  the  ancient  people  : 
for  however  God  may  terrify  us  with  dreadful 
threatenings,  we  still  remain  quiet.  It  is  there- 
fore needful  that  we  should  be  severely  treated, 
for  we  are  almost  void  of  feeling.  The  prophet 
does  here  these  two  things, — he  shows  the  fra- 
ternal love  which  he  entertained  for  the  children 
of  Israel,  as  they  were  his  kindred  and  a  part 
of  the  chosen  people, — and  he  also  discharges 
his  own  duty ;  for  this  lamentation  was,  as  it 
were,  the  mirror  in  which  he  sets  before  them 
the  vengeance  of  God  toward  men  so  extremely 
torpid.  He  therefore  exhibits  to  them  this  rep- 
resentation, that  they  might  perceive  that  God 
was  by  no  means  trifling  with  men,  when  he 
thus  denounced  punishment  on  the  wicked  and 
such  as  were  apostates. 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  being  warned 
by  so  many  examples,  the  record  of  which  thou 
hast  designed  to  continue  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  that  we  may  learn  how  dreadful  a  judge 
thou  art,  to  the  perverse, — O  grant,  that  we  may 
not  at  this  day,  be  hardened  against  thy  teach- 
ing which  is  conveyed  to  us  by  the  mouth  of  thy 
prophet,  but  that  we  may  strive  to  be  so  recon- 
ciled to  thee,  that,  passing  by  all  men,  we  may 
present  ourselves  unreservedly  to  thee,  so  that, 
relying  on  thy  mercy  alone,  which  thou  hast 
promised  to  us  in  Christ,  we  may  not  doubt 
that  thou  wilt  be  propitious  to  us,  and  be  so 
touched  with  the  spirit  of  true  penitence,  that  if 
we  have  been  to  others  a  bad  example,  and 
offense,  we  may  lead  others  to  the  right  way  of 
salvation,  and  each  of  us  may  so  endeavor  to 
assist  our  neighbors  in  a  holy  life,  that  we  may 
together  attain  that  blessed  and  celestial  life 
which  thine  only-begotten  Son  has  procured  for 
us  by  his  own  blood.    Amen. 


57 


Strengthened  by  the  Spirit. 

But  truly  I  am  full  of  power  by  the 

spirit  of  the  Lord,  atid  of  judgment, 

2  2  and  of  might,  to  declare  unto  Jacob  his 

•^  transgression,  and  to  Israel  his  sin. — 

Micah  iii.  8. 

11  ERE  Micah,  in  a  courageous  spirit,  stands 
up  alone  against  all  the  false  teachers,  even 
when  he  saw  that  they  were  a  large  number, 
and  that  they  appealed  to  their  number,  accord- 
ing to  their  usual  practice,  as  their  shield.  This 
confidence  is  what  all  God's  servants  should 
possess,  that  they  may  not  succumb  to  the 
empty  and  vain  boastings  of  those  who  subvert 
the  whole  order  of  the  Church.  Whenever, 
then,  God  permits  his  pure  truth  to  be  cor- 
rupted by  false  teachers  and  allows  them  to  be 
popular  among  those  high  in  honor,  as  well  as 
with  the  multitude,  let  this  striking  example  be 
remembered  by  us  lest  we  be  discouraged,  lest 
the  firmness  and  invincible  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  be  weakened  in  our  hearts  ;  but  let  us 
proceed  in  the  course  of  our  calling  and  learn 
to  oppose  the  name  of  God  to  all  the  deceptions 
of  men,  if  indeed  we  are  convinced  that  our 
service  is  approved  by  him  as  being  faithful. 
Micah  no  doubt  shows  here,  on  account  of  the 
necessity  of  the  occasion,  that  he  was  not  sup- 
plied with  ordinary  or  usual  power  ;  for,  accord- 
ing as  God  employs  the  labors  of  his  servants, 
so  is  he  present  with  them,  and  furnishes  them 
with  suitable  protection. 

58 


Prayer. 


G; 


:RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  wouldst 
have  us  to  be  ruled  by  the  preaching  of  thy 
word, — O  grant  that  those  who  have  to  dis- 
charge this  office  may  be  really  endued  with 
thy  celestial  power  that  they  may  not  attempt 
anything  of  themselves,  but  with  all  devoted- 
ness  spend  all  their  labors  for  thee  and  for  our 
benefit,  that  through  them  we  may  be  thus 
edified  so  that  thou  mayest  ever  dwell  among 
us,  and  that  we  through  our  whole  life  may 
become  the  habitation  of  thy  majesty,  and  that 
finally  we  may  come  to  thy  heavenly  sanctuary, 
where  thou  daily  invitest  us,  as  an  entrance 
there  has  been  once  for  all  opened  to  us  by  the 
blood  of  thine  only-begotten  Son.     Amen. 


59 


A  Fellowship  of  Nations. 

And  many  nations  shall   come,  and 
say,   Come,  and    let   us   go   up   to  the 
moTintain  of  the  Lord,  and  to  the  house 
^  M  of  the  God  of  Jacob  ;  and  he  will  teach 

^4  us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  his 

paths  :  for  the  law  shall  go  forth  of 
Zion,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from 
Jerusalem. — Micah  iv.  2. 


Ti 


HE  prophet  shows  in  these  words,  that  not 
only  each  one  would  be  obedient  to  God,  when 
called,  but  that  they  would  also  encourage  one 
another;  and  this  ardor  is  what  is  justly  re- 
quired in  the  faithful ;  they  ought  to  animate 
and  urge  on  one  another  ;  for  it  is  not  enough 
for  each  of  us  himself  to  obey  God,  but  this 
zeal  ought  to  be  added,  by  which  we  may  strive 
to  produce  a  mutual  benefit.  The  manner  of 
the  exhortation  deserves  to  be  noticed  ;  for  each 
one  offers  himself  as  a  companion  in  the  j'our- 
ney.  We  see  indeed  that  many  are  prompt 
enough  when  others  are  to  be  stimulated  in 
their  duty  ;  but  they  at  the  same  time  lie  still  ; 
their  whole  ferv^or  is  consumed  in  sending 
others,  and  they  themselves  move  not,  no,  not 
a  finger ;  so  far  are  they  from  running  with 
alacrity  in  company  with  others.  The  prophet 
shows  here  that  the  faithful  will  be  so  solicitous 
about  the  salvation  of  their  brethren  that  they 
themselves  also  will  strenuously  run,  and  that 
they  will  prescribe  nothing  to  others  but  what 
they  themselves  perform. 


60 


Prayer. 


G 


:RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  smce,  at  the 
coming  of  Christ  thy  Son  thou  didst  really  per- 
form what  thy  servants  the  prophets  had  fore- 
told so  long  before,  and  since  thou  daily  invitest 
us  until  now  to  the  unity  of  faith,  that  with 
united  efiforts  we  may  truly  serve  thee, — O  grant, 
that  we  may  not  continue  torn  asunder,  every 
one  pursuing  his  own  perverse  inclinations,  at  a 
time  when  Christ  is  thus  gathering  us  unto 
thee  ;  nor  let  us  only  profess  with  the  mouth 
and  in  words  that  we  are  under  thy  government, 
but  prove  that  we  feel  this  very  thing  in  real 
sincerity  ;  and  may  we  then  add  to  the  true  and 
lawful  worship  of  thy  name  brotherly  love 
toward  one  another,  that  with  united  efforts  we 
may  promote  each  other's  good,  and  that  our 
adoption  may  thus  be  proved  and  be  more  and 
more  confirmed  that  we  may  ever  be  able  with 
full  confidence  to  call  on  thee  as  our  Father, 
through  Christ  our  Lord.    Amen. 


6i 


The  Constancy  of  Faith. 

For  all  people  will  walk  every  one  in 
_  jrf  the  name  of  his  god,  ami  we  will  walk 

2^  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God  for 

ever  and  ever. — Micah  iv.  5. 

iVllCAH,  after  having  spoken  of  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Church,  now  confirms  the  same 
truth,  and  shows  that  the  faithful  would  have 
reason  enough  to  cleave  constantly  to  their  God, 
and  to  despise  all  the  superstitions  of  the 
world,  and  that  though  they  may  be  tossed  here 
and  there  by  contrary  opinions,  they  will  yet 
continue  in  true  piety.  This  verse,  then,  is  con- 
nected with  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  for  until  we 
are  gathered,  and  Christ  shines  among  us  and 
rules  us  by  his  word,  there  can  be  in  us  no  con- 
stancy, no  firmness.  But  when,  under  the 
auspices  of  Christ,  we  join  together  in  one  body, 
the  Church,  such  then  becomes  the  constancy 
of  our  faith  that  nothing  can  turn  us  aside  from 
the  right  course,  though  new  storms  were  at 
any  time  to  arise,  by  which  the  whole  world 
might  be  shaken,  and  though  it  were  to  happen 
that  the  universe  should  pass  away. 

This  passage  shows  that  faith  depends  not 
on  the  suffrages  of  men,  and  that  we  ought  not 
to  regard  what  any  one  may  think,  or  what  may 
be  the  consent  of  all,  for  the  truth  of  God  alone 
ought  to  be  deemed  sufficient  by  us.  How 
much  soever,  then,  the  whole  world  may  oppose 
God,  our  faith  ought  not  to  be  changeable,  but 
remain  firm  on  this  foundation — that  God,  who 
cannot  deceive,  hath  spoken. 
62 


Prayer. 


G; 


RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  under  the 
guidance  of  thy  Son  we  have  been  united  to- 
gether in  the  body  of  thy  Church,  which  has 
been  30  often  scattered  and  torn  asunder, — O 
grant  that  we  may  continue  in  the  unity  of  faith, 
and  perseveringly  fight  against  all  the  tempta- 
tions of  this  world,  and  never  deviate  from  the 
right  course,  whatever  new  troubles  may  daily 
arise  ;  and  though  we  are  exposed  to  many 
deaths,  let  us  not  be  seized  with  fear,  such  as 
may  extinguish  in  our  hearts  every  hope  ;  but 
may  we,  on  the  contrary,  learn  to  raise  up  our 
eyes  and  minds  and  all  our  thoughts  to  thy 
great  power,  by  which  thou  quickenest  the  dead, 
and  raisest  from  nothing  things  which  are  not, 
so  that,  though  we  be  daily  exposed  to  ruin, 
our  souls  may  ever  aspire  to  eternal  salvation, 
until  thou  at  length  really  showest  thyself  to  be 
the  fountain  of  life,  when  we  shall  enjoy  that 
endless  felicity  which  has  been  obtained  for  us 
by  the  blood  of  thine  only-begotten  Son  our 
Lord.    Amen. 


63 


God's  Requirements. 

He  hath  showed  Ihce,  O  man,  what 

^  7.y^ood;  and  what  doth  the  Lord  re- 

20  quire  of  thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to 

love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with 

thy  God? — Micah  vi.8. 

It  is  evident  that,  in  the  first  two  particulars, 
he  refers  to  the  second  table  of  the  law ;  that 
is,  to  do  justice  and  to  love  mercy.  Nor  is  it  a 
matter  of  wonder  that  the  prophet  begins  with 
the  duties  of  love  ;  for  though  in  rank  the 
worship  of  God  precedes  these  duties  and  ought 
rightly  to  be  so  regarded,  yet  justice,  which  is 
to  be  exercised  toward  men,  is  the  real  evi- 
dence of  religion.  The  prophet,  therefore,  men- 
tions justice  and  mercy,  not  that  God  casts 
aside  what  is  first  in  importance, — the  worship 
of  his  name  ;  but  he  shows  by  evidences  or 
effects,  what  true  religion  is.  He  afterwards 
adds  what  in  order  is  first,  and  that  is,  lit- 
erally, "to  be  humble  in  walking  with  thy 
God."  No  doubt  as  the  name  of  God  is  more 
excellent  than  anything  else  in  the  whole 
world,  so  the  worship  of  him  ought  to  be  re- 
garded as  of  more  importance  than  all  those 
duties  by  which  we  prove  our  love  toward  men. 
But  the  prophet,  as  I  have  already  said,  was  not  so 
particular  in  observing  order.  His  main  object 
was  to  show  how  men  were  to  prove  that  they 
seriously  feared  God  and  kept  his  law  ;  he 
afterwards  speaks  of  God's  worship.  But  his 
manner  of  speaking,  when  he  says,  that  men 
ought  to  be  humble,  that  they  may  v/alk  with 
their  God,  is  worthy  of  special  notice. 

64 


Prayer. 

VJRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
made  known  to  us  thy  law,  and  hast  also 
added  thy  gospel,  in  which  thou  callest  us  to 
thy  service,  and  also  invitest  us  with  all  kind- 
ness to  partake  of  thy  grace, — O  grant,  that  we 
may  not  be  deaf,  either  to  thy  command  or  to 
the  promises  of  thy  mercy,  but  render  ourselves 
submissive  to  thee  everywhere,  and  so  learn  to 
devote  all  our  faculties  to  thee,  that  we  may  in 
truth  avow  that  the  rule  of  a  holy  and  religious 
life,  has  been  delivered  to  us  in  thy  law,  and 
that  we  may  firmly  adhere  to  thy  promises, 
lest  through  any  of  the  allurements  of  the  world, 
or  through  the  flatteries  and  delusions  of  Satan, 
thou  shouldst  suffer  our  minds  to  be  drawn 
away  from  that  love  which  thou  hast  once  for 
all  manifested  to  us  in  thine  only-begotten  Son, 
and  in  which  thou  daily  confirmest  us  by  the 
teaching  of  the  gospel,  until  we  at  length  shall 
come  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  this  love  in  that 
celestial  inheritance,  which  has  been  purchased 
for  us  by  the  blood  of  thine  only  Son.    Amen. 


65 


A  Prayer  for  God's  Heritage. 

Feed  thy  people  with   thy  rod.  the 

flock  of  thine  heritage,  which  dwell 
—  _  solitarily  in  the  wood,  in  the  midst  of 

^  /  Carmel :  let  them  feed  in  Bashan  and 

Gilead,  as  in  the  days  of  old.— Micah 

vii.  14. 


T 


HE  prophet  here  turns  to  supplications  and 
prayers,  by  which  he  manifests  more  vehemence 
than  if  he  had  affirmed  what  he  had  previously 
said  of  the  restoration  of  the  Church  ;  for  he 
shows  how  dreadful  that  judgment  would  be 
when  God  would  reduce  the  land. into  a  soli- 
tude. This  prayer  no  doubt  contains  what  was 
at  the  same  time  prophetic.  He  compares  God 
to  a  shepherd,  and  this  metaphor  often  occurs. 
By  calling  them  the  flock  of  his  heritage,  he 
does  not  consider  what  the  people  deserved, 
but  fixes  his  eyes  on  their  gratuitous  adoption. 
Since,  then,  it  had  pleased  God  to  choose  that 
people,  the  prophet  on  this  account  dares  to  go 
forth  to  God's  presence  and  to  plead  their  gra- 
tuitous election, — "O  Lord,  I  will  not  bring 
before  thee  the  nobility  of  our  race,  or  any  sort 
of  dignity,  or  our  piety,  or  any  merits."  What 
then?  "We  are  thy  people,  for  thou  hast  de- 
clared that  we  are  a  royal  priesthood.  We  are 
accordingly  thy  heritage."  How  so  ?  "  Because 
it  has  been  thy  pleasure  to  have  one  peculiar 
people  sacred  to  thee."  We  now  more  clearly 
see  that  the  prophet  relied  on  God's  favor  alone, 
and  opposed  the  recollection  of  the  covenant  to 
the  trials  which  might  have  otherwise  made 
every  hope  to  fail. 

06 


Prayer. 

v_JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  we  have 
so  provoked  thy  displeasure  by  our  sins,  that 
a  dreadful  waste  and  solitude  appear  every- 
where,— O  grant  that  a  proof  of  that  favor  which 
thou  hast  so  remarkably  exhibited  toward  thine 
ancient  people  may  shine  upon  us,  so  that  thy 
Church  may  be  raised  up  in  which  true  religion 
may  flourish,  and  thy  name  be  glorified  ;  and 
may  we  daily  solicit  thee  in  our  prayers,  and 
never  doubt  that  under  the  government  of  thy 
Christ  thou  canst  again  gather  together  the 
whole  world,  though  it  be  miserably  dispersed, 
so  that  we  may  persevere  in  this  warfare  to  the 
end,  until  we  shall  at  length  know  that  we  have 
not  in  vain  hoped  in  thee,  and  that  our  prayers 
have  not  been  in  vain,  when  Christ  evidently 
shall  exercise  the  power  given  to  him  for  our 
salvation  and  for  that  of  the  whole  world. 
Amen. 


67 


Nineveh's  Fall. 

But  Nineveh  is  of  old  like  a  pool  of 
_0  water:  yet  they  shall  flee  away.  Stand, 

^O  stand,  shall  they  cry ;   but  none  shall 

look  back. — Nahum  ii.  8, 

1  HE  prophet  here  anticipates  a  doubt  which 
might  have  weakened  confidence  in  his  words, 
for  Nineveh  not  only  flourished  in  power,  but  it 
had  also  confirmed  its  strength  during  a  long 
course  of  time  ;  and  antiquity  not  only  adds  to 
the  strength  of  kingdoms,  but  secures  authority 
to  them.  Accordingly,  as  the  imperial  city  of 
Nineveh  was  ancient,  it  might  even  seem  to 
have  been  perpetual.  "Why!  Nineveh  has 
ever  ruled  and  possessed  the  sovereign  power 
in  all  the  East.  Can  it  be  now  shaken,  or  can 
its  strength  be  now  suddenly  subverted  ?  For 
where  there  is  no  beginning  we  cannot  believe 
that  there  will  be  any  end."  The  Ninevites,  no 
doubt,  boasted  that  they  had  been  eternal,  and 
as  they  were  fixed  in  this  conceit  concerning 
their  antiquity,  no  one  thought  they  could  ever 
fail.  This  circumstance  shall  not,  however,  pre- 
vent God  from  now  overturning  its  dominion. 
How  much  soever,  then,  Nineveh  took  pride  in 
the  notion  of  its  ancientness,  it  was  yet  God's 
purpose  to  destroy  it.  From  this  passage  we 
ought  to  learn  that  no  trust  is  to  be  put  in  the 
number  of  men,  nor  in  the  defenses  and  strong- 
holds of  cities,  nor  in  ancientness  ;  for  when 
men  excel  in  power  God  will  hence  take  occa- 
sion to  destroy  them,  inasmuch  as  pride  is 
almost  always  connected  with  strength. 

68 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  con- 
stantly remindest  us  in  thy  word,  and  hast 
taught  us  by  so  many  examples,  that  there  is 
nothing  permanent  in  this  world,  but  that  the 
things  which  seem  the  firmest  tend  to  ruin,  and 
instantly  fall  and  of  themselves  vanish  away, 
when  by  thy  breath  thou  shakest  that  strength 
in  which  men  trust, — O  grant  that  we,  being 
really  subdued  and  humbled,  may  not  rely  on 
earthly  things,  but  raise  up  our  hearts  and  our 
thoughts  to  heaven,  and  there  fix  the  anchor  of 
our  hope  ;  and  may  all  our  thoughts  abide  there 
until  at  length,  when  thou  hast  led  us  through 
our  course  on  earth,  we  shall  be  gathered  into 
that  celestial  kingdom  which  has  been  obtained 
for  us  by  the  blood  of  thine  only-begotten  Son. 
Amen. 


69 


The  Watch  Tower. 

I  will  stand  upon  my  watch,  and  set 

me  upon  the  tower,  and  will  watch  to 

2Q  see  what  he  will  say  unto  me,  and  what 

'  I  shall  answer  when  I  am  reproved. — 

— Habakkuk  ii.  i. 

1  HE  prophet  finding  himself  sinking,  and  as 
it  were  overwhelmed  in  the  deepest  abyss, 
raises  himself  up  above  the  judgment  and  rea- 
son of  men,  and  comes  nearer  to  God,  that  he 
might  see  from  on  high  the  things  which  take 
place  on  earth,  and  not  judge  according  to  the 
understanding  of  his  own  flesh  but  by  the  light 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  For  the  tower  of  which  he 
speaks  is  patience  arising  from  hope.  If  we 
contend  with  Satan  according  to  our  own  view 
of  things,  he  will  a  hundred  times  overwhelm 
us,  and  we  can  never  be  able  to  resist  him.  Let 
us  therefore  know,  that  here  is  shown  to  us  the 
right  way  of  fighting  with  him.  When  our  minds 
are  agitated  with  unbelief,  when  things  are 
so  confused  in  this  world  as  to  involve  us  in 
darkness,  so  that  no  light  appears  :  we  must  bid 
adieu  to  our  own  reason  ;  for  all  our  thoughts 
are  worth  nothing,  when  we  seek,  according  to 
our  own  reason,  to  form  a  judgment.  Conse- 
quently until  the  faithful  ascend  to  their  tower 
and  stand  in  their  citadel,  of  which  the  prophet 
here  speaks,  their  temptations  will  drive  them 
here  and  there,  and  sink  them  as  it  were  in  a 
bottomless  gulf.  The  tower  is  the  recess  of  the 
mind  ;  but  how  can  we  ascend  to  it  ?  Even  by 
following  the  word  of  the  Lord. 

70 


Prayer. 

CxRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  seest 
us  laboring  under  so  much  weakness,  yea,  with 
our  minds  so  blinded  that  our  faith  falters  at  the 
smallest  perplexities,  and  almost  fails  alto- 
gether,— O  grant,  that  by  the  power  of  thy 
Spirit  we  may  be  raised  up  above  this  world, 
and  learn  more  and  more  to  renounce  our  own 
counsels,  and  so  to  come  to  thee,  that  we  may 
stand  fixed  in  our  watch  tower,  ever  hoping 
through  thy  power,  for  whatever  thou  hast 
promised  us,  though  thou  shouldst  not  imme- 
diately make  it  manifest  to  us,  that  thou  hast 
faithfully  spoken ;  and  may  we  thus  give  full 
proof  of  our  faith  and  patience,  and  proceed  in 
the  course  of  our  warfare,  until  at  length  we 
ascend  above  all  watch  towers  into  that  blessed 
rest  where  we  shall  no  more  watch  with  an 
attentive  mind,  but,  see  face  to  face,  in  thine 
image,  whatever  can  be  wished,  and  whatever 
is  needful  for  our  perfect  happiness  through 
Christ  our  Lord.    Amen. 


71 


Punishment  for  Avarice. 

Shall  not  all  these  take  up  a  parable 

against   him,   and   a  taunting  proverb 

y^  against  him,  and  say.  Woe  to  him  that 

5^  increaseth  i/iai  which  is  not  his!  how 

long?  and  to  him  that   ladeth  himself 

with  thick  clay! — Habakkuk  ii.  6. 


Ai 


XL  the  people  who  had  been  collected,  as  it 
were,  into  a  heap,  would  take  up  a  parable  or 
taunt  in  order  to  scoff  at  the  king  of  Babylon. 
What  seems  here  to  be  the  singing  of  triumph 
before  the  victory  is  no  matter  of  wonder,  for 
our  faith,  as  it  is  well  known,  depends  not  on 
the  judgment  of  the  flesh,  nor  regards  what  is 
openly  evident,  but  it  is  the  substance  of  things 
hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of  things  not 
seen  (Heb.  xi.  i).  As  then,  the  firmness 
of  faith  is  the  same,  though  what  it  apprehends 
is  remote,  and  as  faith  ceaseth  not  to  see  things 
hidden — for  through  the  mirror  of  God's  word 
it  ascends  above  heaven  and  earth,  and  pene- 
trates into  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  God — as 
faith,  then,  possesses  a  view  so  distant,  it  is  not 
to  be  wondered  that  the  prophet  here  boldly 
triumphs  over  the  Babylonians  and  now  pre- 
scribes a  derisive  song  for  all  nations.  The 
prophet  also  intimates  that  tyrants  and  their 
cruelty  cannot  be  endured  without  great  weari- 
ness and  sorrow ;  hence,  almost  the  whole 
world  sound  forth  these  words,  How  long? 
And  this  feeling,  is  it  not  implanted  in  us  by  the 
Lord  ?  But  let  us  in  the  mean  time  see  that  no 
one  of  us  should  have  to  say  the  same  thing  to 
himself  which  he  brings  forward  against  others. 

72 


Prayer. 

CjRANT  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  deign- 
est  so  far  to  condescend  as  to  sustain  the  care 
of  this  hfe,  and  to  supply  us  with  whatever  is 
needful  for  our  pilgrimage, — O  grant  that  we 
may  learn  also  to  rely  on  thee  and  so  trust  to 
thy  blessing  as  to  abstain  not  only  from  all 
plunder  and  all  other  evil  deeds,  but  also  from 
every  unlawful  coveting  ;  and  to  continue  in  thy 
fear,  and  so  to  learn  also  to  bear  our  poverty  on 
the  earth,  that  being  content  with  those  spiritual 
riches,  which  thou  offerest  to  us  in  thy  gospel, 
and  of  which  thou  makest  us  now  partakers,  we 
may  ever  cheerfully  aspire  after  that  fullness  of 
all  blessings,  which  we  shall  enjoy  when  at 
length  we  shall  reach  the  celestial  kingdom  and 
be  perfectly  united  to  thee  through  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen. 


73 


Chariots  of  Salvation. 

Was  the  Lord  displeased  against  the 

rivers  ?    was  thine  anger  against  the 

_  _  rivers?  was  thy  wrath  against  the  sea, 

y  1  that  thou  didst  ride  upon  thine  horses 

anrfthy  chariots  of  salvation? — Habak- 

kuk  iii.  8, 

/\  QUESTION  has  much  more  force  when  it 
refers  to  what  is  in  no  way  doubtful.  What ! 
can  God  be  angry  with  rivers?  Who  can 
imagine  God  to  be  so  unreasonable  as  to  dis- 
turb the  sea  and  to  change  the  nature  of  things, 
when  a  certain  order  has  been  established  by 
his  own  command  ?  Why  should  he  dry  the 
sea,  unless  he  had  something  in  view,  even  the 
deliverance  of  his  Church  ?  Unless  he  intended 
to  save  his  people  from  extreme  danger  by 
stretching  forth  his  hand  to  the  Israelites  when 
they  thought  themselves  utterly  lost?  He 
therefore  denies  that  when  God  dried  the  Red 
Sea,  and  when  he  stopped  the  flowing  of  Jordan, 
he  had  put  forth  his  power  against  the  sea  or 
against  the  river  as  though  he  were  angry  with 
them.  The  design  of  God,  says  the  prophet, 
was  quite  another  ;  for  God  rode  on  his  horses, 
that  is,  he  intended  to  show  that  all  the  ele- 
ments were  under  his  command,  and  that  for 
the  salvation  of  his  people.  That  God,  then, 
might  be  the  redeemer  of  his  Church,  he  con- 
strained the  Jordan  to  turn  back  its  course,  he 
constrained  the  Red  Sea  to  make  a  passage  for 
his  miserable  captives,  who  would  otherwise 
have  been  exposed,  as  it  were,  to  slaughter. 

74 


Prayer. 


G. 


:RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast  so 
often  and  in  such  various  waj^s  testified  for- 
merly, how  much  care  and  solicitude  thou 
hast  for  the  salvation  of  all  those  who  may  rely 
and  call  on  thee, — O  grant,  that  we  also  at  this 
day  may  experience  the  same,  and  though  thy 
face  is  justly  hid  from  us,  may  we  yet  never 
hesitate  to  flee  to  thee  since  thou  hast  made  a 
covenant  through  thy  Son,  which  is  founded  in 
thine  infinite  mercy  ;  grant,  then,  that  we,  being 
humbled  in  true  penitence,  may  so  surrender 
ourselves  to  thy  Son,  that  we  may  be  led  to 
thee,  and  find  thee  no  less  a  Father  to  us  than 
to  the  faithful  of  old,  as  thou  everywhere  testi- 
fiest  to  us  in  thy  word,  until  at  length,  being 
freed  from  all  troubles  and  dangers,  we  come 
to  that  blessed  rest  which  thine  only  Son  has 
purchased  for  us  by  his  own  blood.     Amen. 


75 


J2 


Rejoicing  in  the  Lord. 

Although  the  fig  tree  shall  not 
blossom,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in  tlie 
vines;  the  labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail, 
and  the  helds  shall  yield  no  meat ;  the 
flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and 
there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls  : 

Yet  1  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I 
will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation. — 
Habakkuk  iii.  17,  18. 

1  HE  prophet  teaches  us  what  advantage  it  is 
to  the  faithful  seasonably  to  submit  to  God,  and 
to  entertain  serious  fear  when  he  threatens  them 
and  when  he  summons  them  to  judgment  ;  and 
he  shows  that  though  they  might  perish  a  hun- 
dred times,  they  would  yet  not  perish,  for  the 
Lord  would  ever  supply  them  with  occasions  of 
joy,  and  would  also  cherish  this  joy  within,  so 
as  to  enable  them  to  rise  above  all  their  adversi- 
ties. Though  the  land  was  threatened  with 
famine,  and  though  no  food  would  be  supplied 
to  them,  they  would  yet  be  able  always  to  re- 
joice in  the  God  of  their  salvation  ;  for  they 
knew  him  to  be  their  Father,  though  for  a  time 
he  severely  chastised  them.  Our  joy  shall  not 
depend  on  outward  prosperity,  for  though  the 
Lord  may  afflict  us  in  an  extreme  degree,  there 
will  yet  always  be  some  consolations  to  sustain 
our  minds,  that  they  may  not  succumb  under 
evils  so  grievous,  for  we  are  fully  persuaded 
that  our  salvation  is  in  God's  hand,  and  that  he 
is  its  faithful  guardian.  We  shall,  therefore, 
rest  quietly ;  yea,  though  God  fulminated  from 
heaven  we  shall  yet  be  in  a  tranquil  state  of 
mind,  looking  for  his  gratuitous  salvation. 

76 


Prayer. 

V-JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  cease  not 
daily  to  provoke  thy  wrath  against  us,  and  as 
the  hardness  and  obstinacy  of  our  flesh  is  so 
great  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  be  in  various 
ways  afflicted,— O  grant  that  we  may  patiently 
bear  thy  chastisements,  and  under  a  deep  feel- 
ing of  sorrow  flee  to  thy  mercy  ;  and  may  we  in 
the  mean  time  persevere  in  the  hope  of  that 
mercy,  which  thou  hast  promised,  and  which 
has  once  for  all  been  exhibited  toward  us  in 
Christ,  so  that  we  may  not  depend  on  the 
earthly  blessings  of  this  perishable  life,  but, 
relying  on  thy  word,  may  proceed  in  the  course 
of  our  calling  until  we  shall  at  length  be  gath- 
ered into  that  blessed  rest  which  is  laid  up  for 
us  in  heaven,  through  Christ  alone  our  Lord. 
Amen. 


77 


Pride  and  Destruction. 


This  t's  the  rejoiciriR-  city  that  dwelt 
carelessly,  that  said  in  her  heart,  I  am, 
and  ihere  is  none  beside  me :  how  is 
2  2  she  become  a  desolation,  a  place  for 

?  ?  beasts  to  lie  down  in  !    everv  one  that 


beasts  to  lie  down  in  !  every  one  that 
passeth  by  her  shall  hiss,  and  wag  his 
hand. — Zephaniah  ii.  15. 

1  HE  prophet  reminds  them  here  that  though 
Nineveh  was  thus  proud  of  its  wealth,  yet  it 
could  not  escape  the  hand  of  God  ;  nay,  he 
shows  that  the  greatness,  on  account  of  which 
Nineveh  extolled  itself,  would  be  the  cause  of 
its  ruin  ;  for  it  would  cast  itself  down  by  its  own 
pride,  as  a  wall  when  it  swells  will  not  stand. 
Such  a  destruction  the  prophet  denounces  on 
the  Ninevites  and  the  Assyrians.  Let  us  re- 
member that  in  this  city  is  presented  to  us  an 
example  which  belongs  in  common  to  all 
nations, — that  God  cannot  endure  the  presump- 
tion of  men,  when  inflated  by  their  own  great- 
ness and  power  they  do  not  think  themselves  to 
to  be  men,  nor  humble  themselves  in  a  way 
suitable  to  the  conditions  of  men,  but  forget 
themselves,  as  though  they  could  exalt  them- 
selves above  the  heavens.  If,  then,  we  desire 
to  be  protected  by  God's  hand,  let  us  bear  in 
mind  what  our  condition  is,  and  daily,  yea 
hourly,  prepare  ourselves  for  a  change,  except 
God  be  pleased  to  sustain  us.  Our  stability  is 
to  depend  only  on  the  aid  of  God,  and  from 
consciousness  of  our  infirmity  to  tremble  in 
ourselves  lest  a  fearfulness  of  our  state  should 
creep  in. 

78 


Prayer. 

(jRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  triest 
us  in  the  warfare  of  the  cross,  and  arousest 
most  powerful  enemies  whose  barbarity  might 
justly  terrify  and  dishearten  us,  were  we  not 
depending  on  thine  aid,— O  grant,  that  we  may 
call  to  mind  how  wonderfully  thou  didst  in 
former  times  deliver  thy  people,  and  how  sea- 
sonably thou  didst  bring  them  help,  when  they 
were  oppressed  and  entirely  overwhelmed,  so 
that  we  may  learn  at  this  day  to  flee  to  thy  pro- 
tection, and  not  doubt,  that  when  thou  becomest 
propitious  to  us  there  is  in  thee  sufficient  power 
to  preserve  us,  and  to  lay  prostrate  our  enemies, 
how  much  soever  they  may  now  exult  and 
think  to  triumph  above  the  heavens,  so  that 
they  may  at  length  know  by  experience  that 
they  are  earthly  and  frail  creatures,  whose  life 
and  condition  is  like  the  mist  which  soon 
vanishes ;  and  may  we  learn  to  aspire  after  that 
blessed  eternity  which  is  laid  up  for  us  in  heaven 
through  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


W 


Pure  Lips. 

For  then  will  I  turn  to  the  people  a 

Mpure  language,  that  they  may  all  call 
upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  serve 
him  with  one  consent. — Zephaniah  iii.  9. 

VJOD  intimates  that  he  would  propagate  his 
grace  wider  after  having  cleansed  the  earth,  for 
he  will  be  worshiped  not  only  in  Judea,  but  by 
foreign  nations,  and  even  by  the  remotest.  God 
has  in  his  own  hand  the  means  by  which  he  will 
vindicate  his  own  glory  ;  for  he  will  not  only  de- 
fend his  Church  in  Judea,  but  will  also  gather 
into  it  nations  far  and  wide,  so  that  his  name 
shall  be  everywhere  celebrated.  God  does  not 
without  reason  promise  that  he  will  turn  pure 
lips  to  the  nations — that  is,  that  he  will  cause 
the  nations  to  call  on  his  name  with  pure  lips. 
We  hence  learn  that  God  cannot  rightly  be  in- 
voked by  us  until  he  draws  us  to  himself,  for 
we  have  profane  and  impure  lips.  As  to  the 
word  "all,"  it  is  to  be  referred  to  nations,  not 
to  each  individual,  for  it  has  not  been  brought 
to  pass  that  every  one  has  called  on  God  ;  but 
there  have  been  some  of  all  nations,  as  Paul 
also  says  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  first  Epistle 
to  the  Corinthians,  for  in  addressing  the  faithful 
he  adds,  "With  all  that  in  every  place  call 
upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  both 
theirs  and  ours" — that  is,  not  only  in  Judea; 
and  elsewhere  he  says,  "I  will  that  men  pray 
everywhere,  lifting  up  holy  hands,  without 
wrath  and  doubting."    I  Tim.  ii.  8. 

80 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  it  is  the 
principal  part  of  our  happiness  that  while  we 
are  absent  from  thee  in  this  world  there  is  yet 
open  to  us  a  familiar  access  to  thee  by  faith, — 
O  grant  that  we  may  be  able  to  come  with  a 
pure  heart  to  thy  presence  ;  and  when  our  lips 
are  polluted,  O  purify  us  by  thy  Spirit,  so  that 
we  may  not  only  pray  to  thee  with  the  mouth, 
but  also  prove  that  we  do  this  sincerely,  without 
any  dissimulation,  and  that  we  earnestly  seek 
to  spend  our  whole  life  in  glorifying  thy  name, 
until  at  length  being  gathered  into  thy  celestial 
kingdom,  we  may  be  really  and  truly  united  to 
thee,  and  be  made  partakers  of  that  glory  which 
has  been  procured  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thine 
only  Son.    Amen. 


8i 


Uses  of  Affliction. 

I  will  also  leave  in  the  midst  of  thee 
_  w  an  afflicted  and  poor  people,  and  they 

y^  shall  trust  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. — 

Zephaniah  iii.  12. 

It  ought  to  have  been  a  compensation  to  ease 
their  grief,  when  the  godly  saw  that  God  would 
be  propitious  to  them,  though  he  had  treated 
them  with  great  severity.  The  Church  could 
not  have  been  preserved  without  correcting  and 
subduing  that  arrogance,  which  arose  from  a 
false  profession  as  to  God.  Zephaniah  takes  it 
now  for  granted  that  pride  could  not  be  torn 
away  from  their  hearts,  unless  they  were  wholly 
cast  down  and  thus  made  contrite.  The  Church 
is  subdued  by  the  cross,  that  she  may  know  her 
pride,  which  is  so  innate  and  so  fixed  in  the  hearts 
of  men  that  it  cannot  be  removed,  unless  the 
Lord,  so  to  speak,  roots  it  out  by  force.  There 
is,  therefore,  no  wonder  that  the  faithful  are  so 
much  humbled  by  the  Lord,  and  that  the  lot  of 
the  Church  is  so  contemptible  ;  for  if  they  had 
more  vigor  they  would  soon,  as  is  often  the  case, 
break  out  into  an  insolent  spirit.  We  hence  see 
for  what  purpose  God  deprives  us  of  all  earthly 
trust,  and  takes  away  from  us  every  ground  of 
glorjdng ;  it  is,  that  we  rely  only  on  his  favor. 
This  dependence  ought  not,  indeed,  to  be  ex- 
torted from  us,  for  what  can  be  more  desirable 
than  to  trust  in  God  ?  But  while  men  arrogate 
to  themselves  more  than  what  is  right,  and  thus 
put  themselves  in  the  place  of  God,  they  cannot 
really  and  sincerely  trust  in  him. 

82 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  the  de- 
pravity of  our  nature  is  so  great  that  we  cannot 
bear  prosperity  without  some  wantonness  of  the 
flesh  immediately  raging  in  us,  and  without 
becoming  even  arrogant  against  thee, — O  grant 
that  we  may  profit  under  the  trials  of  the  cross, 
and  when  thou  humblest  us,  may  we  with  lowly 
hearts  renouncing  our  perverseness,  submit  our- 
selves to  thee,  and  not  only  bear  thy  yoke  sub- 
missively, but  proceed  in  this  obedience  through 
all  our  life,  and  so  contend  against  all  tempta- 
tions, as  never  to  glory  in  ourselves,  and  feel 
also  convinced  that  all  true  and  real  glory  is  laid 
up  for  us  in  thee,  until  we  shall  enjoy  it  in  thy 
celestial  kingdom,  through  Christ  our  Lord. 
Amen. 


83 


A  Mirror  for  Ingratitude. 


Thus  speaketh  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
saying,  This  people  say,  The  time  is 
not  come,  the  time  that  the  Lord's 
house  should  be  built. — Haggai  i.  2. 


?6 

W  E  may  see  here,  as  in  a  mirror,  how  great 
is  the  ingratitude  of  men.  The  kindness  of  God 
had  been  especially  worthy  of  being  remem- 
bered, the  glory  of  which  ought  to  have  been 
borne  in  mind  to  the  end  of  time.  They  had 
been  restored  from  exile  in  a  manner  beyond 
what  they  had  ever  expected.  What  ought 
they  to  have  done,  but  devote  themselves 
entirely  to  the  service  of  their  deliverer  ?  But 
they  built,  no,  not  even  a  tent  for  God,  and 
sacrificed  in  the  open  air  ;  and  thus  they  will- 
fully trifled  with  God.  But  at  the  same  time 
they  dwelt  at  ease  in  houses  elegantly  fitted  up. 
No  less  shameful  is  the  example  witnessed  at 
this  day  among  us. 

But  we  may  hence  also  see  how  kindly  God 
has  provided  for  his  Church  ;  for  his  purpose 
was  that  this  reproof  should  continue  extant, 
that  he  might  at  this  day  stimulate  us,  and  ex- 
cite our  fear  as  well  as  our  shame.  For  we  also 
thus  grow  frigid  in  promoting  the  worship  of 
God  whenever  we  are  led  to  seek  our  own  advan- 
tages. We  may  also  add  that  as  God's  temple 
is  spiritual,  our  fault  is  the  more  atrocious  when 
we  become  thus  slothful ;  since  God  does  not 
bid  us  to  collect  either  wood,  or  stones,  or 
cement,  but  to  build  a  celestial  temple  in  which 
he  may  be  truly  worshiped. 

84 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  must 
carry  on  a  warfare  in  this  world,  and  as  it  is 
thy  will  to  try  us  with  many  contests, — O  grant 
that  we  may  never  faint,  however  extreme  may 
be  the  trials  which  we  may  have  to  endure  ;  and 
as  thou  hast  favored  us  with  so  great  an  honor 
as  to  make  us  the  framers  and  builders  of  thy 
spiritual  temple,  may  every  one  of  us  present 
and  consecrate  himself  wholly  to  thee  ;  and  in- 
asmuch as  each  of  us  has  received  some  pecu- 
liar gift,  may  we  strive  to  employ  it  in  building 
this  temple,  so  that  thou  mayest  be  worshiped 
among  us  perpetually ;  and  especially  may 
each  of  us  offer  himself  wholly  as  a  spiritual 
sacrifice  to  thee,  until  we  shall  at  length  be 
renewed  in  thine  image,  and  be  received  into  a 
full  participation  of  that  glory  which  has  been 
attained  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thine  only- 
begotten  Son.     Amen. 


85 


A  Glorious  Temple. 

The  silver  is  mine,  and  the  gold  is 
2  n  mine,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.— Haggai 


ii.  8. 


W] 


HY  does  the  prophet  mention  gold  and 
silver?  He  did  this  in  conformity  with  what 
was  usual  and  common,  for  whenever  the 
prophets  speak  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  they 
delineate  or  foreshadow  its  splendor  in  figurative 
terms,  suitable  to  their  own  age.  When  Isaiah 
foretells  the  restoration  of  the  Church  he  de- 
clares that  the  Church  would  be  all  gold  and 
silver,  and  whatever  ghttered  with  precious 
stones  ;  and  in  the  sixtieth  chapter  he  especially 
sets  forth  the  magnificence  of  the  temple,  as 
though  nations  from  all  parts  were  to  bring  for 
sacrifice  all  their  precious  things.  Isaiah  speaks 
figuratively,  as  all  the  other  prophets  do.  But 
we  must  regard  the  spiritual  character  of  the 
priesthood,  for  since  Christ  has  appeared  in  the 
world  it  is  not  God's  will  to  be  served  with  gold 
and  silver  vessels  ;  so,  also,  there  is  no  altar  on 
which  victims  are  to  be  sacrificed,  and  no  can- 
dlestick ;  in  a  word,  all  the  symbols  of  the  law 
have  ceased.  Thus  we  perceive  how  the  glory 
of  the  second  temple  is  to  be  greater  than  that 
of  the  first.  For  though  they  were  to  gather  the 
treasures  of  a  thousand  worlds  into  one  mass, 
such  a  glory  would  yet  be  corruptible  ;  but  when 
God  the  Father  appeared  in  the  person  of  his 
own  Son,  he  so  glorified  his  temple  that  there 
was  nothing  wanting  to  a  complete  perfection. 

86 


Prayer. 

vJRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  we  are 
by  nature  extremely  prone  to  superstition,  we 
may  carefully  consider  what  is  the  true  and 
right  way  of  serving  thee,  such  as  thou  dost  de- 
sire and  approve  even  that  we  offer  ourselves 
spiritually  to  thee,  and  seek  no  other  altar  but 
Christ,  and  relying  on  no  other  priest,  hope  to 
be  acceptable  and  devoted  to  thee,  that  he  may 
imbue  us  with  the  Spirit  which  has  been  fully 
poured  on  him  so  that  we  may  from  the  heart 
devote  ourselves  to  thee,  and  thus  proceed 
patiently  in  our  course,  that  with  minds  raised 
upward  we  may  ever  go  on  toward  that  glory 
which  is  as  yet  hid  under  hope  until  it  shall  at 
length  be  manifested  in  his  own  time,  when 
thine  only-begotten  Son  shall  appear  with  the 
elect  angels  for  our  final  redemption.     Amen. 


?8 


Abundant  Blessing. 


Consider  now  from  this  day  and  up- 
ward, from  the  four  and  twentieth  day 
of  the  ninth  month,  even  from  the  day 
that  the  foundation  of  the  Lord's  tem- 
ple was  laid,  consider  it. 

Is  the  seed  yet  in  the  barn?  yea,  as 
yet  the  vine,  and  the  fig  tree,  and  the 
pomegranate,  and  the  olive  tree,  hath 
not  brought  forth  :  from  this  day  will  I 
bless >'oz<. — Haggai  ii.  i8,  19. 


1  HE  "seed"  refers  not  to  what  had  been 
gathered,  but  to  what  had  been  sown.  The 
prophet  speaks  of  God's  blessing  on  the  har- 
vest which  was  to  come.  As  they  were  still  in 
suspense,  he  says  that  God's  blessing  was  in 
readiness  for  them.  The  truth  of  the  prophecy 
might  be  truly  known  when  God  fulfilled  what 
he  had  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  his  servant.  It 
was  necessary  for  him  to  speak  in  a  manner 
suitable  to  the  comprehension  of  the  people,  as 
a  skillful  teacher  who  instructs  children  and 
those  of  a  riper  age  in  a  different  manner.  The 
prophet  dwells  on  two  things  :  he  condemns 
the  Jews  for  their  neglect,  and  proves  that  they 
were  impious  and  ungrateful  toward  God,  for 
they  disregarded  the  building  of  the  temple  ; 
and  then  in  order  to  animate  them  and  render 
them  more  active  in  the  work  they  had  begun, 
he  sets  before  them  what  had  taken  place. 


88 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  still 
restrained  by  our  earthly  cares,  and  cannot 
ascend  upward  to  heaven  with  so  much  readi- 
ness and  alacrity  as  we  ought, — O  grant  that 
since  thou  extendest  to  us  daily  so  liberal  a 
supply  for  the  present  life,  we  may  at  least 
learn  that  thou  art  our  Father,  and  that  we 
may  not  at  the  same  time  fix  our  thoughts  on 
these  perishable  things,  but  learn  to  elevate  our 
minds  higher,  and  so  make  continual  advances 
in  thy  spiritual  service  until  at  length  we  come 
to  the  full  and  complete  fruition  of  that  blessed 
and  celestial  life  which  thou  hast  promised  to 
us,  and  procured  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thy 
only-begotten  Son.    Amen. 


89 


Horns  and  Carpenters. 

Then  lifted  I  up  mine  eyes,  and  saw, 
and  behold  four  horns. 

And  I  said  unto  the  angel  that  talked 
with  nie,  What  he  these?  And  he 
answered  me.  These  are  the  horns 
which  have  scattered  Judah,  Israel,  and 
Jerusalem. 

And  the  Lord  showed  me  four  car- 
2Q  penters. 

^*  Then  said  I,  What  come  these  to  do? 

And  he  spake,  saying,  These  are  the 
horns  which  have  scalleied  Judah,  so 
that  no  man  did  lift  up  his  head  :  but 
these  are  come  to  fraj-  them,  to  cast  out 
the  horns  of  the  Gentiles,  which  lifted 
up  their  horn  over  the  land  of  Judah  to 
scatter  it. — Zechariah  i.  18-21. 

1  HOUGH  enemies  should  rise  up  on  every 
side  against  the  Church  and  cause  it  many 
troubles,  there  was  yet  a  remedy  in  God's  hand, 
as  he  would  break  in  pieces  all  horns  by  his 
hammers.  He  compares  the  gentiles,  who  had 
been  hostile  to  the  Jews,  to  horns  ;  and  he 
afterwards  compares  to  workmen  the  other 
enemies,  whose  hand  and  labor  God  would  use 
for  the  purpose  of  breaking  down  the  efforts  of 
all  those  who  would  be  troublesome  to  the 
Church.  The  import  of  the  whole  then  is — 
that  though  the  Church  would  not  be  exempt 
and  free  from  many  troubles,  yet  God  would 
have  in  his  hand  those  remedies  by  which  he 
would  check  all  the  assaults  of  the  wicked. 
Though  the  prophet  intended  by  this  prophecy 
to  encourage  and  animate  to  patience  his  own 
nation,  yet  there  is  here  set  before  us  by  the 
Lord,  as  in  a  mirror,  the  real  condition  of  the 
Church  at  this  day. 

90 


Gi 


Prayer. 


RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  on 
every  side  surrounded  by  many  enemies  and  as 
Satan  never  ceases  to  kindle  the  fury  of  many, 
not  only  to  be  hostile  to  us,  but  also  to  destroy 
and  consume  us, — O  grant  that  we  may  learn 
to  raise  up  our  eyes  to  heaven,  and  trusting  in 
thy  protection  may  boldly  fight  in  patience, 
until  at  length  that  shall  appear  which  thou 
hast  once  for  all  testified  in  this  remarkable 
prophecy,  that  there  are  many  smiths  in  thine 
hand  and  also  many  hammers,  by  which  thou 
breakest  in  pieces  those  horns  which  rise  up  to 
scatter  us,  and  until  at  length  having  overcome 
all  the  devices  of  Satan,  we  shall  reach  that 
blessed  rest  which  has  been  provided  for  us  by 
the  blood  of  thine  only-begotton  Son.     Amen. 


91 


The  True  Priest. 

And  he  showed  me  Joshua  the  high 
.^  priest  standing  before  the  angel  of  the 

*\^  Lord,  and  Satan  standing  at  his  right 

hand  to  resist  him. — Zechariah  iii.  i. 

Z  EC  H  ART  AH  labored  to  show  that  the  faith- 
ful were  to  look  for  more  than  they  had  reason 
to  expect  from  the  aspect  of  things  at  the  time, 
and  that  they  were  to  direct  their  eyes  and  their 
thoughts  to  the  power  of  God,  which  was  not 
as  yet  manifested,  and  which  indeed  God  pur- 
posely designed  not  to  exercise,  in  order  to  try 
the  patience  of  the  people.  The  vision  was 
given  to  the  prophet  for  two  reasons — that  the 
faithful  might  know  that  their  contest  was  with 
Satan,  their  spiritual  enemy,  rather  than  with 
neighboring  nations,  and  also  that  they  might 
understand  that  a  remedy  was  at  hand,  for  God 
stood  in  defense  of  the  priesthood  which  he  had 
instituted.  That  typical  priesthood  was  a  rep- 
resentation of  the  priesthood  of  Christ,  and 
Joshua,  who  was  then  returned  from  exile,  bore 
the  character  of  Christ  the  Son  of  God.  Let  us 
then  know  that  Christ  never  performs  the  work 
of  the  priesthood,  but  that  Satan  stands  at  his 
side — that  is,  devises  all  means  by  which  he  may 
remove  and  draw  Christ  from  his  office.  It 
hence  follows  that  they  are  much  deceived  who 
think  that  they  can  live  idly  under  the  dominion 
of  Christ,  for  we  all  have  a  warfare,  for  which 
each  is  to  arm  and  equip  himself.  Let  not  our 
thoughts  be  fixed  on  flesh  and  blood,  for  Satan 
is  the  chief  warrior  who  assails  us. 

92 


Prayer. 

VJRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
made  us  a  royal  priesthood  in  thy  Son,  that  we 
may  daily  offer  to  thee  spiritual  sacrifices,  and 
be  devoted  to  thee  both  in  body  and  soul, — O 
grant  that  we,  being  endued  with  thy  power, 
may  boldly  fight  against  Satan,  and  never  doubt 
that  thou  wilt  finally  give  us  the  victory,  though 
we  may  have  to  undergo  many  troubles  and 
difficulties  ;  and  may  net  the  contempt  of  the 
world  frighten  or  dishearten  us,  but  may  we 
patiently  bear  all  our  reproaches  until  thou  at 
length  stretchest  forth  thy  hand  to  raise  us  up 
to  that  glory,  the  perfection  of  which  now  ap- 
pears in  our  Head,  and  shall  at  last  be  clearly 
seen  in  all  the  members,  and  in  the  whole  body, 
even  when  he  shall  come  to  gather  us  into  that 
celestial  kingdom  which  he  has  purchased  for 
us  by  his  own  blood.    Amen, 


93 


The  Day  of  Small  Things. 

For  who  hath   despised  the  clay  of 
small  things?  for  they  shall  rejoice,  and 
shall   see  the  plummet  in  the  hand  of 
A  I  Zerubbabel  zvii/i  those  seven  ;  they  are 

'  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  which  run  to  and 

fro  through  the  whole  earth. — Zecha- 
riah  iv.  lo. 

VJOD,  to  exhibit  the  more  his  power,  begins 
with  small  things  in  building  his  spiritual  tem- 
ple ;  nothing  grand  is  seen  to  attract  the  eyes 
and  thoughts  of  men,  but  everything  is  almost 
contemptible.  God  indeed  could  put  forth  his 
power  immediately,  and  tlms  rouse  the  atten- 
tion of  all  men  and  (ill  them  with  wonder.  But 
his  purpose  is  to  increase,  by  doing  wonders, 
the  brightness  of  his  power,  which  he  does 
when  from  a  small  beginning  he  brings  forth 
what  no  one  would  have  thought ;  and  besides, 
his  purpose  is  to  prove  the  faith  of  his  people, 
for  it  behooves  us  ever  to  hope  beyond  hope. 
Now,  when  the  beginning  promises  something 
great  and  sublime,  there  is  no  proof  and  no  trial 
of  faith  ;  but  when  we  hope  for  what  does  not 
appear,  we  give  due  honor  to  God,  for  we  de- 
pend only  on  his  power,  and  not  on  the  proxi- 
mate means.  There  is  no  one  who  does  not 
sometimes  become  cold  when  he  sees  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Church  so  mean  before  the  world 
and  so  destitute  of  any  dignity.  But  we  know 
that  Christ  is  the  chief  builder  and  that  min- 
isters are  workmen  who  labor  under  him. 


94 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  Satan  at 
this  day  sets  against  us  many  terrors  to  cast  us 
down,  and  we  are  very  weak, — O  grant  that 
with  our  eyes  Hfted  above  we  may  meditate  on 
that  invincible  power  which  thou  possessest, 
and  by  which  thou  canst  overcome  all  the  hin- 
drances of  this  world,  and  then,  when  nothing 
in  this  world  but  what  is  contemptible  appears 
to  be  capable  of  confirming  and  supporting  our 
faith,  may  we,  nevertheless,  by  the  eyes  of  faith, 
behold  thy  hidden  power  and  never  doubt  that 
thou  wilt  at  length  perform  what  the  world  at 
this  day  thinks  to  be  impossible,  and  therefore 
ridicules  ;  and  may  we  so  constantly  persevere 
in  this  confidence  that  every  one  of  us  may  de- 
vote to  thee  his  labor  to  the  end,  and  never 
faint  in  the  work  of  promoting  the  spiritual 
building,  until  at  length  we  ourselves  shall  be 
assembled,  and  others  also  shall  be  gathered 
through  our  labors,  to  offer  to  thee  not  only 
spiritual  sacrifices  such  as  thou  receivest  now 
from  us,  but  also  to  offer  to  thee,  together  with 
the  angels,  that  eternal  sacrifice  of  praise  and 
triumphant  thanksgiving  on  seeing  perfected 
what  at  this  day  is  only  feebly  begun.     Amen. 


95 


42 


The  Providence  of  God. 


Then  cried  he  upon  me,  and  spake 
unto  me,  saying,  Behold,  these  that  go 
toward  the  north  country  have  quieted 
my  spirit  in  the  north  country.— Zech- 
ariah  vi.  8. 


r  ROM  this  verse  we  learn  that  the  chief  object 
of  the  vision  was,  that  the  Jews  might  know 
that  the  dreadful  tumults  in  Chaldea,  which  had 
in  part  happened,  and  were  yet  to  take  place, 
were  not  excited  without  a  design  ;  but  that  all 
things  were  regulated  by  God's  hidden  counsel, 
and  also  that  God  had  so  disturbed  and  em- 
barrassed the  state  of  that  empire  that  the  end 
of  it  might  be  looked  for.  There  is,  therefore, 
no  reason  for  any  one  too  anxiously  to  labor  to 
understand  the  import  of  every  part  of  the 
prophecy,  since  its  general  meaning  is  evident. 
But  why  does  the  angel  expressly  speak  of  the 
land  of  the  south  rather  than  of  the  land  of  the 
north,  or  of  the  whole  world?  Even  because 
the  eyes  of  all  were  fixed  on  that  quarter  ;  for 
Chaldea,  we  know,  had  been,  as  it  were,  tlie 
grave  of  the  Church,  whence  the  remnant  had 
emerged,  that  there  might  be  some  people  by 
whom  God  might  be  worshiped.  The  angel 
then  bids  the  Jews  to  continue  undisturbed  in 
their  minds,  until  these  chariots  had  run  their 
course  through  the  whole  of  Chaldea  ;  for  what 
the  angel  now  says  would  be  fulfilled,  even  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  would  be  quieted,  who  seemed 
before  to  be  disturbed  when  he  involved  all 
things  in  darkness,  even  in  Judea  itself. 
96 


Prayer. 

V_JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  we  are 
here  exposed  to  so  many  evils,  which  suddenly 
arise  like  violent  tempests, — O  grant,  that  with 
hearts  raised  up  to  heaven,  we  may  yet  acqui- 
esce in  thy  hidden  providence,  and  be  so  tossed 
here  and  there,  according  to  the  judgment  of 
our  flesh,  as  yet  to  remain  fixed  in  this  truth, 
which  thou  wouldst  have  us  to  believe — that  all 
things  are  governed  by  thee,  and  that  nothing 
takes  place  except  through  thy  will,  so  that  in 
the  greatest  confusions  we  may  always  clearly 
see  thy  hand,  and  that  thy  counsel  is  altogether 
right,  and  perfectly  and  singularly  wise  and 
just ;  and  may  we  ever  call  upon  thee  and  flee 
to  this  port — that  we  are  tossed  here  and  there 
in  order  that  thou  mayest  nevertheless  always 
sustain  us  by  thine  hand  until  we  shall  at  length 
be  received  into  that  blessed  rest  which  has  been 
procured  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thine  only- 
begotten  Son.    Amen. 


97 


Brotherly  Kindness. 

Thus  speaketh  the  Lord    of  hosts, 
.  -  saying,    Execute    true   juclKtiient,  and 

^^  show  mercy  and  compassions  every  man 

to  his  brother. — Zechariah  vii.  9. 


T 


HE  people  were  so  devoted  to  their  cere- 
monies as  to  think  that  the  whole  of  religion 
consisted  in  fasting  and  in  similar  exercises. 
And  as  we  are  by  nature  prone  to  this  evil,  we 
ought  carefully  to  consider  what  the  prophet 
has  taught  us — that  fasting  is  not  simply,  or  by 
itself,  approved  by  God,  but  on  account  of  the 
end  designed  by  it.  Having  already  shown  to 
the  Jews  their  error  in  thinking  that  God  could 
be  pacified  by  ceremonies,  he  now  reminds 
them  of  what  God  mainly  requires  in  his  law — 
that  men  should  observe  what  is  just  and  right 
toward  one  another.  It  is  indeed  true  that  the 
first  part  of  the  law  refers  to  the  service  due  to 
God,  but  it  is  a  way  which  God  has  commonly 
adopted,  to  test  the  life  of  men  by  the  duties  of 
the  second  table,  and  to  show  what  this  part  of 
the  law  especially  requires.  Therefore  God  in 
this  passage,  as  in  many  others,  does  not  com- 
mend righteousness  toward  men  so  as  to  de- 
preciate godliness  ;  for  as  this  far  excels  every- 
thing in  the  whole  world,  so  we  know  that  in 
rightly  forming  the  life  the  beginning  ought  ever 
to  be  made  by  serving  God  aright.  But  as  the 
prophet  had  to  do  with  hypocrites,  he  shows 
that  they  only  trifled  with  God,  while  they  made 
much  of  external  things,  and  at  the  same  time 
neglected  uprightness  and  the  duties  of  love. 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
adopted  us  for  this  end,  that  we  may  show 
brotherly  kindness  one  toward  another  and 
labor  for  our  mutual  benefit, — O  grant,  that  we 
may  prove  by  the  whole  tenor  of  our  life  that  we 
have  not  been  called  in  vain  by  thee,  but  that 
we  may  live  so  in  harmony  with  each  other  that 
integrity  and  innocence  may  prevail  among  us  ; 
and  may  we  so  strive  to  benefit  one  another, 
that  thy  name  may  be  thus  glorified  by  us,  until 
having  at  length  finished  our  course,  we  reach 
the  goal  which  thou  hast  set  before  us,  that  hav- 
ing at  last  gone  through  all  the  evils  of  this  life, 
we  may  come  to  that  blessed  rest  which  has 
been  prepared  for  us  in  heaven  by  Christ  our 
Lord.    Amen. 


99 


Deliverance  by  Covenant. 

As  for  thee  also,  by  the  blood  of  thy 
.   .  covenant  I  have  sent  forth  thy  prison- 

44  ^rs  out  of  the  pit  wherein  is  no  water. — 

Zechariah  ix.  ii. 


H 


.E  addresses  Jerusalem  as  though  he  had 
said,  "There  is  no  reason  for  thee  to  torment 
thyself  with  perplexed  and  anxious  thoughts, 
for  I  will  accomplish  what  I  have  promised — 
that  I  would  become  a  deliverer  to  my  people." 
For  this  doubt  might  have  occurred  to  them, 
"Why  does  he  exhort  us  to  rejoice  while  the 
Church  of  God  is  still  in  part  captive,  and  while 
those  who  have  returned  to  their  country  are 
miserably  and  cruelly  harassed  by  their  ene- 
mies?" To  this  objection  Zechariah  answers, 
in  the  person  of  God,  that  God  would  be  able 
to  deliver  them,  though  they  were  sunk  in  the 
deepest  gulf.  The  relation,  we  know,  between 
God  and  his  people  as  to  the  covenant  is 
mutual ;  it  is  God's  covenant,  because  it  flows 
from  him  ;  it  is  the  covenant  of  the  Church,  be- 
cause it  is  made  for  its  sake,  and  laid  up,  as  it 
were,  in  its  bosom.  Now,  since  God  receives 
you  into  favor,  that  ye  may  be  safe,  he  will 
therefore  deliver  the  captives  of  his  Church. 
In  short,  he  means,  first,  that  the  Jews  were 
sunk  in  the  deep  ;  and,  secondly,  that  thirst 
would  consume  them,  so  that  death  was  nigh 
at  hand  unless  they  were  miraculously  delivered 
by  God  ;  but  he  reminds  them  that  no  impedi- 
ment would  prevent  God  from  raising  them  to 
light  from  the  deepest  darkness. 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  do  not  at 
this  day  look  for  a  Redeemer  to  deliver  us  from 
temporal  miseries,  but  only  carry  on  a  warfare 
under  the  banner  of  the  cross  until  he  appear  to 
us  from  heaven  to  gather  us  into  his  blessed 
kingdom, — O  grant  that  we  may  patiently  bear 
all  evils  and  all  troubles,  and  as  Christ  once  for 
all  poured  forth  the  blood  of  the  new  and  eter- 
nal covenant,  and  gave  us  also  a  symbol  of  it  in 
die  Holy  Supper,  may  we,  confiding  in  so  sacred 
a  seal,  never  doubt  that  he  will  always  be  pro- 
pitious to  us,  and  render  manifest  to  us  the  fruit 
of  this  reconciliation,  when,  after  having  sup- 
ported us  for  a  season  under  the  burden  of  those 
miseries  by  which  we  are  now  oppressed,  thou 
gatherest  us  into  that  blessed  and  perfect  glory 
which  has  been  procured  for  us  by  the  blood  of 
Christ  our  Lord,  and  which  is  daily  set  before 
us  in  his  gospel,  and  laid  up  for  us  in  heaven, 
until  we  at  length  shall  enjoy  it  through  Christ, 
our  only  Lord.     Amen. 


lOI 


An  Abundant  Blessing.^ 

For  how  great  is  his  goodness,  and 
.^  how  great  is    his  beauty!     corn   shall 

43  make  the  young  men  cheerful,  and  new 

wine  the  maids. — Zechariah  ix.  17. 

1  HE  prophet  here  exclaims  at  the  incredible 
kindness  of  God,  that  the  Jews  might  learn  to 
raise  up  their  thoughts  above  the  world,  as 
though  his  words  were,  "  No  one  ought  to  judge 
God's  favor,  oi  which  I  have  spoken,  according 
to  his  own  doings  or  conduct  or  experience  ;  but 
on  the  contrary,  every  one  of  you  ought  to  be 
filled  with  amazement  at  God's  incredible  kind- 
ness and  at  his  incredible  beauty."  But  by  the 
last  word  he  understands  the  brightness  or 
splendor  which  appears  in  all  God's  favors  and 
gifts.  He  then  concludes  by  saying,  that  the 
abundance  of  corn  and  wine  would  be  so  great 
that  young  men  and  young  women  would  eat 
and  drink  together,  and  be  fully  satisfied.  But 
he  speaks  not  here  of  God's  blessing  as  though 
it  were  an  incentive  to  luxury ;  but  what  he 
means  is,  that  the  abundance  of  provisions 
would  be  so  great  as  to  be  fully  sufficient  not 
only  for  the  old,  but  also  for  young  men  and 
young  women. 


102 


Prayer. 

VJRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  cannot 
look  for  temporal  or  eternal  happiness,  except 
through  Christ  alone,  and  as  thou  settest  him 
forth  to  us  as  the  only  true  fountain  of  all  bless- 
ings,— O  grant  that  we,  being  content  with  the 
favor  offered  to  us  through  him,  may  learn  to 
renounce  the  whole  world,  and  so  strive  against 
all  unbelief,  that  we  may  not  doubt  that  thou 
wilt  ever  be  our  kind  and  gracious  Father,  and 
fully  supply  whatever  is  necessary  for  our  sup- 
port ;  and  may  we  at  the  same  time  live  soberly 
and  temperately  so  that  we  may  not  be  under 
the  power  of  earthly  things,  but  with  our  hearts 
raised  above,  aspire  after  that  heavenly  bliss  to 
which  thou  invitest  us,  and  to  -which  thou  also 
guidest  us  by  such  helps  as  are  earthly,  so  that 
being  really  united  to  our  Head  we  may  at 
length  reach  that  glory  which  has  been  procured 
for  us  by  his  own  blood.     Amen. 


103 


Promise  of  Restoration. 


And  I  will  strengthen  the  house  of 
Judah,  and  I  will  save  the  house  of 
Joseph,  and  I  will  bring  them  again  to 
place  them ;  for  1  have  mercy  upon 
them  :  and  they  shall  be  as  though  1  had 
not  cast  them  ofl  :  for  I  ain  the  Lord 
their  God,  and  will  hear  them. — Zecha- 
rlah  X.  6. 


46 

1  HE  work  of  redemption,  the  beginning  of 
which  the  Jews  saw,  would  not  be  incomplete, 
for  the  Lord  would  at  length  fulfill  what  he  had 
begun.  And  this  truth  is  very  useful  to  us,  for 
we  are  wont  to  confine  God's  promises  to  a 
short  duration  of  time,  and  when  we  thus  in- 
clude him  within  our  narrow  limits,  we  prevent 
him  from  performing  what  we  desire.  There- 
fore, let  the  example  of  the  return  of  the  people 
of  Israel  ever  come  to  our  minds,  for  the  Lord 
had  promised  by  his  prophets  that  they  would 
become  very  eminent,  and  in  every  way  rich 
and  happy ;  but  when  this  did  not  take  place 
after  their  return  to  their  country,  many  of  the 
Jews  thought  that  they  had  been  deceived,  as 
they  had  expected  God  to  fulfill  his  word  im- 
mediately ;  but  they  ought  to  have  suspended 
their  hope  and  expectation  until  Christ  came 
into  the  world.  The  state  of  the  people  would 
be  happier  than  it  had  been  since  the  ten  tribes 
separated  from  the  kingdom  of  Judah  or  from 
the  house  of  David,  for  God  would  gather  for 
himself  a  Church  from  all  the  children  of  Abra- 
ham. Though  God  had  dealt  severely  with 
that  people,  yet  his  vengeance  would  not  be  for- 
ever, for  he  would  give  place  to  mercy, 
104 


Prayer. 

vJCRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  con- 
strained continually  to  groan  under  the  burden 
of  our  sins,  and  the  captivity  in  which  we  are 
held  until  now  justly  exposes  us  to  continual 
trembling  and  sorrow, — O  grant  that  the  deliv- 
erance already  begun  may  inspire  us  with  a 
good  hope,  so  as  to  expect  more  from  thee  than 
what  we  can  see  with  our  eyes  ;  and  may  we 
continually  call  on  thee  until  thou  completest 
what  thou  hast  begun,  and  puttest  to  flight  both 
Satan  and  our  sins,  so  that,  being  in  true  and 
full  liberty  devoted  to  thee,  we  may  be  par- 
takers of  that  power  which  has  already  appeared 
in  our  Head,  until,  having  at  length  passed 
through  all  our  contests,  we  may  reach  that 
blessed  rest  where  we  shall  enjoy  the  fruit  of 
our  victory  in  Christ  alone  our  Lord.    Amen. 


105 


Beauty  and  Bands. 

And  I  will  feed  the  flock  of  slaughter, 

even  you,  O  poor  of  the  flock.     And  I 

.  took  unto  me  two    staves;   the  one  I 

4 7  called    Beauty,  and  the  other  I  called 

Bands ;  and  I  fed  the  flock. — Zechariah 

xi.7. 

VjOD  here  intimates  that  he  had  manifested 
his  care  for  the  whole  people,  for  he  had  hoped 
that  there  were  a  few  sheep  yet  remaining  who 
were  worthy  to  obtain  mercy.  As  then,  some 
poor  sheep  might  have  been  found  among  the 
impure  flock,  he  did  not  deem  it  grievous  or 
burdensome  to  undertake  the  office  of  shepherd 
in  ruling  the  people.  The  prophet  then  says, 
that  he  had  taken  two  rods,  that  he  might  devote 
himself  in  a  manner  not  common  to  the  office  of 
a  shepherd.  Shepherds  were  satisfied  with  one 
crook  ;  for  by  rods  he  means  here  the  crook 
used  by  shepherds.  As  then,  every  shepherd 
carried  his  own  crook,  the  prophet  says  here 
that  he  was  furnished  with  two  crooks,  or  shep- 
herd's staffs,  because  the  Lord  surpassed  all 
men  in  his  solicitude  in  the  office  of  ruling  his 
people.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  perfect 
in  beauty  than  the  government  which  God  had 
exercised  over  the  Israelites  ;  and  hence  he 
compares  here  his  shepherd's  staff  to  beauty, 
as  though  he  had  said,  "The  order  of  things 
was  so  arranged  that  nothing  better  could  be 
imagined."  He  then  mentions  unity  or  con- 
cord ;  and  it  was  the  highest  favor  that  God 
gathered  again  the  scattered  Israelites  so  as  to 
make  them  one  body. 

io6 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
hitherto  so  kindly  showed  thyself  to  be  our 
shepherd,  and  even  our  Father,  and  hast  care- 
fully provided  for  our  safety,— O  grant  that  we 
may  not,  by  our  ingratitude,  deprive  ourselves 
of  thy  favors,  so  as  to  provoke  thine  extreme 
vengeance  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  suffer  our- 
selves to  be  gently  ruled  by  thee,  and  render 
thee  due  obedience  ;  and  as  thine  only-begotten 
Son  has  been  set  over  us  by  thee  as  our  only 
true  Shepherd,  may  we  hear  his  voice  and  will- 
ingly obey  him,  so  that  we  may  be  able  to 
triumph  with  thy  prophet,  that  thy  staff  is  suffi- 
cient for  us,  so  as  to  enable  us  to  walk  without 
fear  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
until  we  shall  at  length  reach  that  blessed  and 
eternal  rest  which  has  been  obtained  for  us  by 
the  blood  of  thine  only  Son.    Amen. 


107 


48 


True  Repentance. 

And  I  will  pour  upon  the  house  of 
David,  and  upon  the  inhabilantsof  Jeru- 
salem, the  spirit  of  grace  and  of  suppli- 
cations :  and  they  shall  look  upon  nie 
whom  they  have  pierced,  and  they  shall 
mourn  for  him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his 
only  soti,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness  for 
him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his 
firstborn. — Zechariah  xii.  lo. 

W  E  see  here  that  not  only  an  external  grace 
or  favor  was  promised  to  the  Jews,  but  an  inter- 
nal light  of  faith,  the  author  of  which  is  the 
Spirit.  The  words,  "  They  shall  look  upon  me 
whom  they  have  pierced,"  are  to  be  taken  met- 
aphorically, for  the  prophet  expresses  here  that 
the  Jews  would  some  time  return  to  a  sound 
mind.  For  it  is  a  true  conversion  when  men 
seriously  acknowledge  that  they  are  at  war  with 
God,  and  that  he  is  their  enemy  until  they  are 
reconciled  ;  for  except  a  sinner  sets  himself  in  a 
manner  before  God's  tribunal,  he  is  never 
touched  by  a  true  feeling  of  repentance.  John 
says  that  this  prophecy  was  fulfilled  in  Christ 
when  his  side  was  pierced  by  a  spear.  John 
xix.  37.  It  was  necessary  that  the  visible  sym- 
bol should  be  exhibited  in  the  person  of  Christ, 
in  order  that  the  Jews  might  know  that  he  was 
the  God  who  had  spoken  by  the  prophets.  The 
Jews  then  had  crucified  their  God  when  they 
grieved  his  Spirit,  but  Christ  was  also  as  to  his 
fiesh  pierced  by  them.  Zechariah  promises  the 
spirit  of  repentance  to  the  Jews,  and  mentions 
a  particular  kind  of  repentance.  The  begin- 
ning of  repentance  we  know  is  grief. 
108 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  hast 
been  pleased  to  adopt  us  as  thy  people,  and 
from  being  thine  enemies,  profane  and  repro- 
bate, to  make  us  the  children  of  Abraham,  that 
we  might  be  unto  thee  a  holy  heritage, — O 
grant,  that  through  the  whole  course  of  our  hfe 
we  may  so  repent  as  to  attain  unto  thy  mercy, 
which  is  daily  set  before  us  in  the  gospel,  and  of 
which  thou  hast  given  us  a  sure  pledge  in  the 
death  of  thine  only  Son,  so  that  we  may  become 
more  and  more  humble  before  thee,  and  labor 
to  form  our  life  according  to  the  rule  of  thy 
righteousness,  and  so  loathe  ourselves,  that  we 
may  at  the  same  time  be  allured  by  the  sweet- 
ness of  thy  goodness  to  call  upon  thee,  and  that 
being  thus  united  to  thee,  we  may  be  more  and 
more  confirmed  in  the  faith,  until  at  length  we 
shall  reach  that  blessed  rest  which  has  been 
procured  for  us  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  thine 
only  Son.    Amen. 


109 


Impure  Worship  Banished. 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
sailh  the  Lord  of  hosts,  that  I  will  cut 
ofi  the  names  of  the  idols  out  of  the 
^Q  land,  and  they  shall  no  more  be  lenieni- 

'  ■^  bered  :   and  also  I  will  cause  the  pro- 

phets and  the  unclean  spirit  to  pass  out 
of  the  land. — Zechariah  xiii.  2. 

V_JOD  cannot  be  rightly  worshiped,  except 
all  corruptions,  inconsistent  with  his  sincere 
and  pure  worship,  be  taken  away.  But  we 
must  at  the  same  time  observe,  that  this  effect 
is  ascribed  to  God's  word  ;  for  it  is  that  which 
can  drive  away  and  banish  all  the  abominations 
of  falsehood,  and  whatever  is  uncongenial  to 
true  religion.  As  then,  by  the  rising  of  the  sun 
darkness  is  put  to  flight,  and  all  things  appear 
distinctly  to  the  view,  so  also  when  God  comes 
forth  with  the  teaching  of  his  word,  all  the  de- 
ceptions of  Satan  must  necessarily  be  dissipa- 
ted. Whosoever  then,  desires  to  perform  all 
the  duties  of  a  good  and  faithful  pastor,  ought 
firmly  to  resolve,  not  only  to  abstain  from  all 
impure  doctrines  and  simply  to  assert  what  is 
true,  but  also  to  detect  all  corruptions  which 
are  injurious  to  religion,  to  recover  men  from 
the  deceptions  of  Satan,  and  in  short,  avowedly 
to  carry  on  war  with  all  superstitions.  We  may 
learn  how  much  purity  of  doctrine  is  approved 
by  God,  since  he  would  have  us  feel  a  horror  as 
at  something  monstrous,  whenever  the  name  of 
an  idol  is  mentioned.  The  Church  cannot  be 
preserved  in  a  pure  state  except  the  rashness  of 
those  who  pervert  sound  doctrine  be  restrained. 


Prayer. 

CjRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
been  pleased  to  draw  us  at  this  day  by  the  light 
of  thy  gospel,  out  of  that  horrible  darkness  in 
which  we  have  been  miserably  immersed,  and 
to  render  thy  face  so  conspicuous  to  us  in  the 
person  of  thine  only-begotten  Son,  that  nothing 
but  our  ingratitude  prevents  us  from  being 
transformed  into  thy  celestial  glory, — O  grant 
that  we  may  make  such  advances  in  the  light  of 
truth,  that  every  one  of  us  may  be  ashamed  of 
his  former  ignorance,  and  that  we  may  freely 
and  ingenuously  confess  that  we  were  lost 
sheep,  until  we  were  brought  back  into  the  way 
of  salvation  by  thy  hand  ;  and  may  we  thus 
proceed  in  the  course  of  our  holy  calling  until 
we  shall  at  length  be  all  gathered  into  heaven, 
where  not  only  that  truth  shall  give  us  light, 
which  now  rules  us  according  to  the  capacity  of 
our  flesh,  but  where  also  the  splendor  of  thy 
glory  shall  shine  in  us,  and  shall  render  us  con- 
formable to  thine  image,  through  Christ  alone 
our  Lord.    Amen. 


Saved  by  Grace. 


I  have  loved  you,  saith  the   Lord. 
Yet  ye  say,  Wherein  hast  thou   loved 


F'Q  us?    IVas  not  Esau  Jacob's    brothei  ? 


saith  the  Lord:  yet  I  loved  Jacob. — 
Malachi  i.  2. 


w, 


HEN  God  says  that  he  loved  the  Jews,  his 
object  was  to  convict  them  of  ingratitude  for 
having  despised  the  singular  favor  bestowed  on 
them  alone,  rather  than  to  press  that  authority 
which  he  possesses  over  all  mankind  in  com- 
mon. The  origin  of  all  the  excellency  which 
belonged  to  the  posterity  of  Abraham  is  here 
ascribed  to  the  gratuitous  love  of  God,  accord- 
ing to  what  Moses  often  said,  "  Not  because  ye 
excelled  other  nations,  or  were  more  in  num- 
ber, has  God  honored  you  with  so  many  bene- 
fits, but  because  he  loved  your  fathers."  We 
see  that  we  differ  from  animals  because  God 
was  pleased  to  create  us  men.  He  therefore 
will  justly  charge  us  with  ingratitude  if  we  do 
not  serve  him,  for  it  was  for  this  end  he  created 
us  in  his  own  image.  But  there  is  here  men- 
tioned a  special  favor — that  the  Lord  took  to 
himself  the  seed  of  Abraham,  as  it  is  said  in  the 
song  of  Moses,  that  all  nations  are  God's,  but 
that  he  had  cast  his  line  to  set  apart  Israel  for 
himself.  Deut.  xxxii.  9.  By  love  he  means 
gratuitous  favor.  There  is  no  reason  for  us  to 
seek  any  other  cause  for  adoption  except  the 
will  of  God.  God's  free  favor  and  gratuitous 
mercy  prevails  as  to  individuals. 


Prayer. 


G 


:RANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast 
been  pleased  to  adopt  us  once  for  all  as  thy 
people  for  this  end,  that  we  might  be  ingrafted, 
as  it  were,  into  the  body  of  thy  Son,  and  so  be 
made  conformable  to  our  Head, — O  grant  that 
through  our  whole  life  we  may  strive  to  seal  in 
our  hearts  the  faith  of  our  election,  that  we  may 
be  the  more  stimulated  to  render  thee  true 
obedience,  and  that  thy  glory  may  also  be  made 
known  through  us  ;  and  those  others  also  whom 
thou  hast  chosen  together  with  us  may  we 
labor  to  bring  with  us,  that  we  may  with  one 
accord  celebrate  thee  as  the  Author  of  our  sal- 
vation, and  so  ascribe  to  thee  the  glory  of  thy 
.goodness,  that  having  cast  away  and  renounced 
all  confidence  in  our  own  virtue,  we  may  be  led 
to  Christ  only  as  the  fountain  of  thy  election,  in 
whom  also  is  set  before  us  the  certainty  of  our 
salvation  through  thy  gospel,  until  we  shall  at 
length  be  gathered  with  him  into  that  eternal 
glory  which  he  has  procured  for  us  by  his  own 
blood.     Amen. 


"3 


The  Calling  of  the  Gentiles. 

For  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  even 
unto  the  K<)'"K  down  of  the  same  my 
name  shall  be  jjreat  amoiif;  tlie  Gentiles  ; 

?.  and   in   every   place   incense    shall   be 

A  oflered  unto  my  name,  and  a  pure  offer- 

itij^  :  for  my  name  shall  ^f*/' great  among 
the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts. — 
Malachi  i.  ii. 


Ti 


HE  prophets  promised  to  the  Jews  that  the 
gentiles  would  become  allied  to  them  ;  so  does 
Zechariah,  "  In  those  days  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
that  ten  men  shall  take  hold  ...  of  the  skirt  of 
him  that  is  a  Jew,  saying,  We  will  go  with  you  : 
for  we  have  heard  that  God  is  with  you  "  (Zech. 
viii.  23).  It  would  have  been  then  the  highest 
honor  to  the  Jews  had  they  become  teachers  to 
all  nations,  so  as  to  instruct  them  in  the  true 
religion.  So  also  Isaiah  says  that  those  who 
were  before  aliens  would  become  the  disciples 
of  the  chosen  people,  so  that  they  would  will- 
ingly submit  to  their  teaching.  But  as  the  Jews 
have  fallen  from  their  place,  the  gentiles  have 
succeeded  and  occupied  their  position  ;  accord- 
ing to  what  Christ  threatened  to  men  of  his 
age,  **  The  kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  from 
you  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the 
fruits  thereof"  (Matt.  xxi.  43).  The  calling 
of  the  gentiles  is  here  clearly  proved,  because 
the  name  of  God  cannot  be  great  without  the 
teaching  of  the  truth.  It  is  therefore  the  same 
thing  as  though  the  prophet  had  said  that  the 
law  which  had  been  given  to  the  Jews  would  be 
proclaimed  among  all  nations. 

114 


Prayer. 

C-JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  dost 
not  keep  us  at  this  day  under  the  shadows  of 
the  law,  by  which  thou  didst  train  up  the  race 
of  Abraham,  but  invitest  us  to  a  service  far 
more  excellent,  even  to  consecrate  ourselves 
body  and  soul  as  victims  to  thee,  and  to  offer 
not  only  ourselves,  but  also  sacrifices  of  praise 
and  of  prayer,  as  thou  hast  consecrated  all  the 
duties  of  religion  which  thou  requirest  from  us 
through  Christ  thy  Son, — O  grant,  that  we  may 
seek  true  purity  and  labor  to  render  our  services 
approved  by  thee  by  a  real  sincerity  of  heart, 
and  so  reverently  profess  and  call  upon  thy 
name  that  it  may  be  truly  acknowledged  as  ful- 
filled in  us,  which  thou  hast  declared  by  thy 
prophet — that  undoubtedly  thy  name  shall  be 
magnified  and  celebrated  throughout  the  whole 
world,  as  it  was  truly  made  known  to  us  in 
the  very  person  of  thine  only-begotten  Son. 
Amen. 


"5 


Christ's  Forerunner. 

Behold,  I    will  send  you   Elijah  the 
-*~  prophet  before  the  coming  of  the  great 

{)  ^  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord. — Mala- 

chi  iv.  5. 

1  HE  prophet  having  testified  to  the  Jews,  that 
though  God  would  for  a  time  suspend  the 
course  of  prophetic  teaching,  they  yet  had  in  the 
law  what  was  sufficient  for  salvation,  he  now 
promises  the  renovation  of  the  Church,  as 
though  he  had  said,  "The  Lord  will  again  un- 
expectedly utter  his  voice  after  a  long  silence." 
Isaiah  speaks  on  the  same  subject  prophesying 
of  the  return  of  the  people  when  he  says,  "  Com- 
fort ye,  comfort  ye  my  people,  will  our  God 
say."  Isa.  xl.  i.  At  the  same  time  he  shows 
that  the  time  would  come,  when  his  purpose 
was  to  confirm  and  seal  all  the  prophesies 
by  his  only-begotten  Son.  Christ  himself  said 
that  John  the  Baptist  was  the  Elijah  who  had 
been  promised.  Matt.  xi.  14.  God  intended 
to  raise  up  John  the  Baptist  for  the  purpose  of 
restoring  his  worship,  as  formerly  he  had  raised 
up  Elijah,  for  at  the  time  of  Elijah,  we  know, 
that  not  only  the  truth  was  corrupted,  and  the 
worship  of  God  vitiated,  but  also  that  all  relig- 
ion was  well-nigh  extinct,  so  that  nothing  pure 
and  sound  remained.  At  the  coming  of  Christ, 
though  the  Jews  did  not  worship  idols,  but  re- 
tained some  outward  form  of  religion,  yet  the 
whole  of  their  religion  was  spurious,  so  that  that 
time  may  truly  be  compared,  on  account  of  its 
multiplied  pollutions,  to  the  age  of  Elijah. 
116 


Prayer. 

C-JRANT,  Almighty  God,  that  as  nothing  has 
been  omitted  by  thee  to  help  us  onward  in  the 
course  of  our  faith,  and  as  our  sloth  is  such  that 
we  hardly  advance  one  step  though  stimulated 
by  thee, — O  grant  that  we  may  strive  to  profit 
more  by  the  various  helps  which  thou  hast  pro- 
vided for  us,  so  that  the  law,  the  prophets,  the 
voice  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  especially  the 
doctrine  of  thine  only-begotten  Son,  may  more 
fully  awaken  us,  that  we  may  not  only  hasten  to 
him,  but  also  proceed  constantly  in  this  course, 
and  persevere  in  it  until  we  shall  at  length 
obtain  both  the  victory  and  the  crown  of  our 
calling,  as  thou  hast  promised  an  eternal  inher- 
itance reserved  in  heaven  for  all  who  faint  not, 
but  wait  for  the  coming  of  that  great  Redeemer. 
Amen. 


117 


INDEX. 

PAGE 

Introduction, 3 

The  Solitary  Lamb, Hosea  4  :  16  14 

A  Sovereign  Word, 5:1  16 

Kindness  and  Faith,     ....              6:6  18 

Sin  and  Punishment,    ....              9^9  20 

The  Divinity  of  Christ,     ...           12  : 4,  5  22 

A  Gracious  Reminder,     ...            13 :   5  24 

The  True  King, 13 :  10  26 

A  Kind  Invitation, 14 :    i  28 

Worship  and  Joy, Joel     i  :  16  30 

Sounding  the  Alarm,    ....              2:1  32 

The  Outpouring  of  the  Spirit,              2  :  28  34 

An  Admonition, 2  :  30,  31  36 

Calling  on  the  Lord,     ....              2  :  32  38 

A  Blessed  Experience,     ...              3  :  17  40 

The  Law  of  Worship,  ....  Amos  4:5  42 

A  Solemn  Exhortation,   ...              4  :  12  44 

Herdman  and  Prophet,   ...              7  •  14  46 

The  Power  of  God, 9:6  48 

Wisdom  Destroyed,      .    .    .  Obadiah         8  50 

A  Fearless  Preacher,    ....   Jonah  3:4  52 

The  Mercy  of  God, 4  :  10,  11  54 

A  Prophet's  Lamentation,  .   .  Micah  1:9  56 

Strengthened  by  the  Spirit,    .              3  :   8  58 

A  Fellowship  of  Nations,    .  .              4 :   2  60 

The  Constancy  of  Faith.  .   .   .              4  :   5  62 
119 


INDEX. 

PAGB 

God's  Requirements Micah  6:8  64 

A  Prayer  for  God's  Heritage,               7  ^  14  66 

Nineveh's  Fall, Nahum    2:8  68 

The  Watch  Tower,  .    .   .  Habbakuk  2:1  70 

Punishment  for  Avarice,                        2:6  72 

Chariots  of  Salvation,  .    .                       3  :    8  74 

Rejoicing  in  the  Lord,  .   .               3:17,18  76 

Pride  and  Destruction,    .  Zephaniah  2  :  15  78 

Pure  Lips, 3 :   9  80 

Uses  of  Affliction,     ...                     3  :  12  82 

A  Mirror  for  Ingratitude,    .   Haggai  1:2  84 

A  Glorious  Temple,     ...                  2  :   8  86 

Abundant  Blessing,      ...            2 :  18,  19  88 

Horns  and  Carpenters,  Zechariah  i  :  18-21  90 

The  True  Priest, 3  :    i  92 

The  Day  of  Small  Things,                   4  :  10  94 

The  Providence  of  God,    .                   6  :   8  96 

Brotherly  Kindness,    ...                   7 :   9  98 

Deliverance  by  Covenant,                   9:11  100 

An  Abundant  Blessing,  .   .                   9  ^  17  102 

Promise  of  Restoration,     .                 10 :   6  104 

Beauty  and  Bands,  ....                 n  :   7  106 

True  Repentance,    ....                 12  :  10  108 

Impure  Worship  Banished,                 13  :   2  no 

Saved  by  Grace, Malachi    1:2  112 

The  Calling  of  the  Gentiles,                 i  :  11  114 

Christ's  Forerunner,    ...                  4  :    5  116 


Date  Due 


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BS1560.8.C16 

Scripture  texts  with  expositions  and 

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